BRIDGES – NOVEMBER 2022
QUICK LINKS
Serving the Nursing Community: Be a Peer Evaluator for the ACEN
How Serving as a Peer Evaluator Boosts Your Career
On the Fence? The ACEN Makes Volunteering Easy
Mingle with Marcy
by Marsal Stoll, EdD, MSN, RN, Chief Executive Officer at the ACEN
A few days ago, I received an email from the Medical Reserve Corps seeking volunteers for a joint, full-scale, inter-agency exercise focusing on response and recovery roles 48+ hours after a nuclear detonation and resulting nuclear fallout. Volunteers were needed to test the capabilities of the decontamination components and family assistance center. There were a limited number of volunteer spaces, so by the time I clicked on the volunteer link, all spaces were full. While I was disappointed to miss the opportunity to volunteer, it was heartwarming to know there are so many dedicated volunteers in my community.
This email reminded me once again of how critical volunteers are to the ACEN. EVERYONE who serves as a peer evaluator on a site visit team, at the Evaluation Review Panel, and on the Board of Commissioners is a volunteer. Self-regulation through peer review would not (and could not!) exist without peer evaluators who volunteer their specialized understanding, expertise, and experience to make professional judgments on academic quality.
As we look forward to the upcoming holiday season, I count our blessings at the ACEN; those blessings are the ≈500 volunteers who serve as ACEN peer evaluators to ensure ACEN accreditation has integrity and rigor, thoughtful and principled judgment, and is respected and trusted by others. THANK YOU for volunteering your time and expertise to make nursing education and our profession the best and strongest it can be. Your dedication and contributions are priceless.