NEPAB Appoints New Chair

IN March, Maureen Mitchell RN, MN, EdD(c), assumed her position as chair of the Nursing Education Program Approval Board (NEPAB). Mitchell succeeds Lorraine Way who completed her historic five-year term on Jan. 31, 2005.

Mitchell is a faculty member with the department of undergraduate nursing at Mount Royal College in Calgary and has served on the NEPAB Board since 2002 as a registered nurse representative.

"I thank Lorraine for her exemplary leadership in the inaugural years of NEPAB and for her wisdom and visionary guidance," says Maureen. "I look forward to continuing to work with the members of NEPAB and the education community in Alberta as the Health Professions Act (HPA) is passed and the new standards are implemented and we go forward in providing quality nursing education in Alberta."

Dr. Elaine McKiel has assumed the position of NEPAB vice-chair. McKiel is an associate professor and acting associate dean at the University of Calgary faculty of nursing and has served as a nursing education representative on NEPAB since August 2002.

As part of the mandate of a selfregulated profession, NEPAB reviews and approves Alberta schools of nursing and nursing education programs leading to initial entry to practice as a registered nurse.

Since NEPAB began reviewing schools of nursing and entry-level nursing education programs in 2001, 10 nursing education programs and one school of nursing have been reviewed and granted approval in Alberta. The reviews of additional nursing education programs are also currently underway. This exemplifies the commitment to providing accountable, flexible, responsive and quality nursing education on the part of the 11 approved schools of nursing offering entry-level nursing education programs in Alberta.

LOOKING AHEAD

The draft nursing education standards are being finalized in anticipation of the proclamation of HPA for registered nurses. The board is also revising policies and processes required under HPA for the approval of nursing education programs and for the resolution of complaints submitted to NEPAB.

Copyright Alberta Association of Registered Nurses Apr 2005
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