Views of regulatory authorities on standards to assure quality in online nursing education

BackgroundWith the rapid growth in online education programs in nursing, quality of education through this modality is becoming of greater importance.PurposeThis paper aims to explore current recommendations and standards for quality in online nursing education offered by nursing regulatory, accrediting, and licensing organizations.MethodIndividual interviews were conducted with the leaders from four accrediting, licensing and certifying organizations in nursing about their perspectives on quality standards for online education.FindingsThe following themes emerged from the qualitative interviews: Theme 1- Standards are not specific to online education; Theme 2-This is not up to us - Professional organizations can offer recommendations but not responsible for regulations; and Theme 3- Each institution has responsibility to provide support and evaluate the quality of online education.DiscussionSchools of nursing should continue to incorporate current standards for quality in online education as the methods of delivery continue to evolve in this highly technologically-oriented world.