Chicago – The Kentucky Board of Nursing was recently awarded the Regulatory Achievement Award at the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. (NCSBN®) 2008 Delegate Assembly. The Regulatory Achievement Award recognizes the member board that has made an identifiable, significant contribution to the purpose of NCSBN in promoting public policy related to the safe and effective practice of nursing in the interest of public welfare. The Kentucky Board of Nursing demonstrated participation by board members and staff; effective leadership in development, implementation and maintenance of licensing and regulatory policies; active collaborative relationships between the member board and NCSBN, other boards and the public; and advancement of the NCSBN mission.

NCSBN is a not-for-profit organization whose membership comprises the boards of nursing in the 50 states, the District of Columbia and four United States territories. The purpose of NCSBN is to provide an organization through which boards of nursing act and counsel together on matters of common interest and concern affecting the public health, safety and welfare, including the development of licensing examinations in nursing.
The Kentucky Board of Nursing’s leadership is reflected in its progressive regulatory initiatives:

• The Kentucky Board was the first in the nation to implement a mandatory Clinical Nurse Internship requirement of 120 hours supervised practice in order to qualify for licensure as a new graduate.
  
• The Board was awarded NCSBN's first contract for its implementation of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) under a grant from HRSA’s Office for the Advancement of Telehealth.
  
• The Board successfully implemented many innovative programs such as a sexual assault nurse examiner program and the alternative to discipline for substance abuse program (KARE), which was opened to out of state participants upon its entry into the Nurse Licensure Compact. 
  
• In 2006, the Board implemented mandatory online license renewal with the impressive result of  99.4 percent of all nurses in the state utilizing the process in the first year. 
  
• This Board acted to expand the LPN scope of practice in response to critical patient care needs evidenced across the state. This action was taken in collaboration with both education programs and health care managers. 

Kentucky Board of Nursing members are:  Jimmy Isenberg, President, Vice President, Sally Baxter; Secretary, Carol Komara; Financial Officer, Anne Veno; Patricia Birchfield, Christe Coe, Ann Fultz, Jann Gilliam, Cheryl Hickman, Melda Sue Logan, Susan Mudd, Beth Partin, Deborah Phillips, Sonia Rudolph, and Gail Wise.  The Executive Director of KBN is Charlotte Beason.

The National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. (NCSBN) is a not-for-profit organization whose membership comprises the boards of nursing in the 50 states, the District of Columbia and four U.S. territories.

Mission: The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), composed of Member Boards, provides leadership to advance regulatory excellence for public protection.