Project Description
The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), the leading authority in nursing education accreditation, announced Dr. Kathy Chappell has been named its Chief Executive Officer. She will assume the leadership position on September 4, 2023 and immediately begin delivering on ACEN’s mission to strengthen the quality of nursing education at all levels of the profession and transition-to-practice programs.
Chappell is an accomplished researcher with a clinical background and extensive experience steering the strategic direction of credentialing programs at notable professional organizations and health systems in the US and globally. She previously served as senior vice president at the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and American Nurses Association Enterprise, where she held various leadership positions since 2010. There, she was responsible for the certification of individual registered nurses (RNs) and advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs); and development of board certification examinations. She is responsible for the accreditation of organizations that provide continuing nursing education and interprofessional continuing education; and for accreditation of residency and fellowship programs for RNs and APRNs. She directs the Institute for Nursing Research, analyzing outcomes related to credentialing, and the quality management department. She also leads the Advanced Practice Initiatives.
Prior to ANCC, Chappell served as the Director of Nursing Clinical Education and Nursing Research at Inova Health System, where she developed nursing clinical education programs supporting student rotations, quality initiatives, and research. Today, she serves on the board of the World Health Organization Academy Standing Advisory Quality Committee, the National Academy of Medicine’s Action Collaborative to Address the US Opioid Crisis, and boards responsible for the quality of education for medical students and students engaged in strength and conditioning programs, among various other memberships and titles. She is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, a Distinguished Scholar & Fellow in the National Academies of Practice, and a published author, among many other
distinctions.
Chappell holds a BSN with distinction from the University of Virginia, a MS in advanced clinical nursing, and a PhD in nursing from George Mason University.
About The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) supports the interests of nursing education, nursing practice, and the public by providing specialized accreditation for all levels of nursing education and transition-to-practice programs. The ACEN is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization, and participation in its accreditation process is voluntary.
The ACEN is recognized as an accrediting body by the US Department of Education and by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. The ACEN is one of the largest specialized accrediting agencies, accrediting nursing programs throughout the United States, its territories, and internationally.
