Dear Editor,

I am responding to an article published in the current issue of JONA's Healthcare Law, Ethics, and Regulations, April/June 2009, written by Nancy Spector, PhD, RM, which relates to regulatory recommendations for nursing faculty qualifications. The National Council of State Board of Nursing has clearly stated its recommendations of upholding the highest standards and excellence in the profession of nursing science. Its recommendations provide an opportunity to address the complexities involved in nursing practice and education, as the ever-changing healthcare reforms require new laws and policies within all healthcare organizations.

The ever-increasing patient acuity and advances in new technology, as well as the changing economic times, are of major concern in healthcare policies today, and there are other concerns, including medical errors and medication administration errors, that involve patient safety. It has been estimated that medical errors account for 44,000 to 98,000 deaths in the United States each year (Institute of Medicine. Preventing medication errors. July 2006. http://www.iom.edu/Object.File/Masters/35/943/medication%20errors20new.pdf. NCSBN. 2008. https://www.ncsbn.org/Final-08Faculty-Qual-Report.pdf. Accessed June 7, 2009.) Such recommendations made by the National Council of State Board of Nursing for nursing faculty qualifications have concurred with all State Boards of Nursing throughout the United States. A master's degree or a doctoral degree is required to teach registered nurses and practical nurses within an accredited school of nursing. Additional recommendations focused on nursing education enrichment to include other areas of science in related fields (https://www.ncsbn.org/Final-08-Faculty-Qual-Report.pdf).

Although there is no doubt that an alarming number of experienced, older nurses are retiring and/or leaving the bedside to accept other positions, the need for faculty positions continues to increase. It is important to meet the needs of nursing education and to generate new nursing research. However, the nursing profession must remain vigilant and committed to nursing excellence in practice and education while continuing to elevate the science of nursing.

The next generation of nurses must be prepared for the new and ever-changing technology in the 21st century to develop new knowledge and skills that are needed to develop new scientific theories for further nursing research. Our aim is to convince the political and scientific community that we are a profession of evidence-based practice and that we are prepared to meet challenges that are present in today's healthcare system.

Thanking you kindly,

Joyce Perez-Paret, RN, BSN

[email protected]