Radford SON welcomes its first-ever Certified Nurse Educator

Radford SON Instructor Wendy Downey
Radford Nursing Instructor Wendy Downey

Nursing Instructor Wendy Downey has become the Radford University School of Nursing's first faculty member to earn the National League of Nursing’s certification as a Nurse Educator.

To merit the Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) certification, Downey passed a rigorous examination in the specialty area of nursing education practice. Entering her second year on the SON Faculty, Downey practiced at LewisGale Hospital Montgomery with a specialty in medical/surgical nursing. She earned her Doctorate of Nursing Practice in Nursing Leadership in Education in 2016 from Case Western Reserve University’s DNP program. With CNE certification, Downey joins a national cohort of more than 4,000 certified nursing educators.

"This program and the DNP program prepared me for a faculty role in support of our students’ striving for licensure," Downey said. "In our field, you must continue to grow. It’s a privilege to teach in that dynamic environment and be a role model for the future of nursing and education."

SON Director Tony Ramsey said the constantly evolving healthcare field academic nursing community that prepares today’s nurses is challenged to constantly evolve.

"This certification is a mark of professionalism in an advanced professional practice discipline that keeps the focus on demonstrable standards of excellence. Wendy has added another distinctive accomplishment to our faculty and our field." Ramsey said.

Dedicated to excellence in nursing, the National League for Nursing is an organization for nurse faculty and leaders in nursing education. The NLN provides faculty development, testing services, nursing research grants, and public policy initiatives to its 37,000 individual and more than 1,200 institutional members.

Aug 1, 2016
Don Bowman
(540) 831-7523
dbowman@radford.edu