Duke Achieves All Five Center of Excellence Designations from the National League for Nursing
Duke School of Nursing has earned the new NLN Center of Excellence designation for climate change and planetary health education, making Duke the only institution in the nation to hold all five NLN COE designations.
Duke University School of Nursing has earned the 2026 National League for Nursing (NLN) Center of Excellence in Nursing Education designation for Creating Learning Environments that Impact Climate Change and Planetary Health, the newest category in the NLN’s prestigious recognition program. The NLN Center of Excellence designation recognizes organizations that set high standards for nursing education and sustain excellence through research, innovation, and measurable impact.
The designation honors nursing schools that demonstrate sustained, evidence-based innovation in preparing students to understand and address the connections among climate change, planetary health, health equity, and human well-being. The recognition acknowledges a schoolwide commitment to educating nurses who are prepared not only to deliver exceptional care, but also to lead in a rapidly changing world where environmental conditions increasingly shape individual and community health.
The School of Nursing also received continuing designation as an NLN Center of Excellence in Advancing the Science of Nursing Education. This Center recognizes schools of nursing that promote the development of the science of nursing education, conduct pedagogical projects and programs of research, and use research and evidence-based findings for curriculum design, teaching, and assessment. Duke received its first designation in 2017 and was redesignated in 2021.
With this newest honor, Duke, along with the Duke University Health System, becomes the only institution in the nation to hold all five NLN Center of Excellence designations. The achievement builds on Duke’s long-standing recognition in the areas of advancing the science of nursing education, promoting the pedagogical expertise of faculty, enhancing student learning and professional development, supporting the academic progression of nurses, and now creating learning environments that impact climate change and planetary health. Together, these designations reflect the School’s culture of continuous improvement, collaborative innovation, and deep investment in preparing nurse leaders for the needs of today and the future.
“Earning the NLN’s newest Center of Excellence designation is both an honor and a historic milestone for Duke," said Dean Michael Relf, PhD, RN, ANEF, FAAN. "Becoming the only institution in the nation to hold all five Center of Excellence designations reflects decades of dedication by our faculty, staff, students, alumni, and health system partners. It speaks to a culture of excellence that continually evolves to meet emerging health needs, including the urgent challenges posed by climate change and planetary health.”
Duke’s newest designation underscores the School’s leadership in integrating climate and planetary health into nursing education, while also highlighting the breadth of excellence that has defined its academic mission. As the health impacts of climate change continue to intensify, Duke is helping prepare nurses to be clinicians, scholars, and leaders who can advance healthier communities and a healthier planet.