In spring 2002, the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) revised its Criteria for Evaluation of Nurse Practitioner (NP) Programs and submitted them to several organizations, including the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS), for review and endorsement. At the request of the NACNS Board of Directors, the Education Committee reviewed NONPF's program criteria. Although committee members support the concept of NONPF establishing criteria for NP programs, they were concerned with the broad guidelines in the curriculum section pertaining to joint NP/CNS programs and the possibility that NONPF evaluators might review the CNS component of joint NP/CNS programs. Consequently, committee members recommended that the guidelines for joint programs be revised to clearly indicate that the course and clinical requirements pertinent to NP education conform to the NONPF guidelines, while the course and clinical requirements pertinent to CNS education conform to NACNS guidelines. The committee also recommended that NACNS and NONPF work together to establish program review teams comprising NONPF and NACNS evaluators for the p urpose of reviewing joint NP/CNS programs. The NACNS Board's response to NONPF follows.
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