Regulatory And Accreditation Body - Research Paper Example

Although there are several reasons why these organizations were created, the core impetus which inspired it is the assurance of public health and safety. Though the end point boils down to a common goal, the regulatory and accrediting bodies differ in their function and scope. The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education--an accrediting body, and the National Council for States Boards of Nursing--a regulatory body, will be examined through their functions and scope in their paper. Regulatory Body According to Harvey (2004a), a regulatory body in higher education is “an external organization that has been empowered by legislation” to take hold of the educational processes through restrictions and rules designed by the organization to maintain a specified standard.

The importance of a regulatory body is nondiscriminatory when what is at risk is the common good. Habgood and Welter (2000) expressed the role of regulatory body through the regulations they make as “[assurance of] public protection by administering enactment of the passed law.” In this note, one may say that legislations influence the regulations of the regulatory bodies in such a way that the public is given the most benefits. In the context of nursing education, where public health is the main concern, it is essential to be very selective of the persons of whom a license would be entrusted.

This goes to the assessment of what kind of training a nursing graduate has and how equipped and worthy is he/she to become a “registered nurse.” Of the different nursing regulatory bodies, it is the National Council for States Boards of Nursing to perform this task. National Council for States Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) Purpose. The NCSBN was founded in 1978 as a non-profit organization conceptualized by the American Nurses Association (ANA) Council on State Boards of Nursing. The creation of NCSBN comes from the realization that in order to fully concentrate on the safety of the public and assurance of a quality workforce of nurses, “the regulation of nurses needed to be a separate entity from the organization representing professional nurses” (NCSBN, n.d.b).

If such professionals would not be regulated, then public health and public safety would be jeopardized; an instance which NCSBN prevents. To materialize their goals, NCSBN formulated the Guiding Principles of Nursing Regulations which include: protection for the public, competence of all practitioners regulated by the board of nursing, due process and ethical decision making, shared accountability, strategic collaboration, evidenced-based regulation; response to the marketplace and healthcare environment; and globalization of nursing.

Through their guiding principles, the NCSBN is able to regulate all aspects of nursing practice; from the selection of the human resource to establishing an above average competence which can compete globally. Ethical standards are also given emphasis to the benefit of both practitioners and clients, so that a balance decision-making, in case of alleged malpractice and such circumstances is assured. Scope. NCSBN’s primary roles are to provide rules, administer licensure examinations and regulate professional nursing practice.

Since the NCSBN is state-based, rules may vary depending on the qualifications of the state (NCSBN, n.d.a); such as in each regulatory agency, “the regulatory authority may vary according to the purpose of approval and the particular jurisdiction” (Bible et al. 2010). Licensure is the main task of the NCSBN;