History of the National League for Nursing (NLN)
Supporting Nursing Education for over a Century
1893 - The American Society of Superintendents of Training Schools for Nurses is created. This is the first organization for nursing in the United States of America. The society is formed for "the establishment and maintenance of a universal standard of training" for nursing. Ever since that remarkable stroke of courage and spirit over 100 years ago, the National League for Nursing has continued to be the leading professional association for nursing education.
1912 - The society is renamed the National League for Nursing Education (NLNE).
1917 - NLNE releases the first Standard Curriculum for Schools of Nursing.
1952 - NLNE, the National Organization for Public Health Nursing, and Association for Collegiate Schools of Nursing combine to establish the National League for Nursing (NLN). The organization effectively assumes responsibility for accrediting nursing education programs.
1992 - Membership becomes a continuum, available to nurses interested in nursing education as well as public members. NLN leads the movement to promote Nursing's Agenda for Health Care Reform.
1993 - NLN celebrates a century of commitment to quality nursing education.
1997 - The National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) is established and responsibility for all accrediting activities is transferred to this independent new subsidiary. The NLNAC is accountable to the NLN directly through the NLN's Board of Governors.
1998 - The Board of Governors reaffirms its mission "to promote quality nursing education to prepare the workforce to meet the needs of diverse populations in an ever changing health care environment." Resources are allocated to develop modules of information important to nursing faculty and to disseminate this information through programming, monographs, and conferences.
2002 - and Beyond - Meeting the challenges of bridging the gap between nursing education and practice in the new millennium, the NLN sets in motion a Strategic Plan. The Plan specifies five bold Goals, reaffirms the commitment to all types of nursing education and embraces the global nursing education community.