The National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. ("NCSBN", “us” or “we”) acknowledges how important it is to protect the privacy of the visitors to and users of the NCSBN Learning Extension online community (“Community”) and e-learning courses (“Services”). This privacy policy describes our collection of personal information from users of our Community and Services, as well as our use and disclosure of that information. By using our Community and Services, you consent to the collection and use of personal information in accordance with this policy.

Personal Information

“Personal Information,” as used in this policy, is information that specifically identifies an individual, such as an individual’s name, address, telephone number, or e-mail address. Personal Information also includes information about an individual’s activities, such as information about his or her activity on our Community, and demographic information, such as nursing credentials, gender, geographic area, and preferences, when any of this information is linked to Personal Information that identifies that individual.

Personal Information does not include “aggregate” or other non-personally identifiable information. Aggregate information is information that we collect about a group or category of products, services, or users that is not personally identifiable or from which individual identities are removed.

Personal Information Collected via Technology

When you visit and use our Community and Services, some information is automatically collected, such as your IP address, browser type, system type, the content and pages that you access on our Community and Services, “referring URL” (i.e., the page from which you navigated to our Services), the pages or areas you navigate to on our Community and Services, and from which you leave our Community and Services, as well as the time you spend using our Community and Services.

We collect this information passively using technologies such as standard server logs, and cookies. We use passively-collected information to administer, operate, and improve our Community and Services, and to provide services and content that are tailored to meet user interests and needs. If we link or associate any information gathered through passive means with Personal Information, we treat the combined information as Personal Information under this policy. Otherwise, we use information collected by passive means in aggregate only. This usage data is used to assist NCSBN in understanding usage of the Community and Services and what technology can be supported.

Also, please be aware that third parties may set cookies on your hard drive or use other means of passively collecting information about your use of their services or content. We do not have access to, or control over, these third-party means of passive data collection.

Collection of Voluntarily Provided Information

We collect Personal Information that our users provide to us in a variety of ways on our Community and Services. For instance, when you create or update a profile on our Community and Services, post information for other users of our Community and Services, request help or support, or otherwise communicate with us, we collect the Personal Information that is provided to us.

Use of Personal Information

We use Personal Information to provide services and information to operate, and maintain our Community and Services, to prevent fraudulent use of our Community and Services, to provide customized information and content, to maintain a record of our dealings with you, and for other administrative purposes.

We may also use Personal Information to deliver e-mail communications about our Community and Services. We have the right, but not the obligation, to access and review messages sent using Contact Features. We do not, however, actively monitor or screen those messages in the regular course of offering our Community and Services.

NCSBN will collect content provided by users and identifying Personal Information using one of the features of the Community, for example comments, photos or message boards. NCSBN may use content posted by users in the Community in promotional collateral used to promote the Community and Services. For example, we may reproduce a User Rating and Comment about a course offering and may also display Personal Information posted with that User Rating and Comment.

Once users register and sign in to the Community and Services, they are not anonymous to us. If users are browsing the Community without registering with the Community, they are anonymous to us, but we will collect the information listed under the section titled “Personal Information Collected via Technology”.

Any visitor to the Community can view select account information, content that you have uploaded to the Community, and content you have posted to the Community. You can control what part of the information of your account is visible to visitors of the Community and which network of members can see what information.

Please be aware that any information that is publicly posted throughout the Community can be accessed by every visitor of the Community.

Confidentiality and Security

We limit access to Personal Information about users to employees and third parties who we reasonably believe need access to that information to provide products or services to users or in order to do their jobs.

NCSBN, through its third-party licensors, has implemented various measures to protect against the misuse and alteration of any Personal Information collected by and under NCSBN's control. Information provided to NCSBN is encrypted to protect the integrity of the data as it travels the Internet, provided that the user browser supports this. Such security is not impenetrable, and therefore NCSBN cannot guarantee that no loss, misuse, or alteration of information on the Site will occur. NCSBN and its third-party licensor's are not responsible for any damage incurred by any such security failures.

Correcting, Updating and Deleting Personal Information

Users may correct, update and delete their profile information on the Community and Services at anytime through modifying their profile forms. Users can also request assistance in making changes or modification to information previously provided via e-mail (elearning@ncsbn.org) or phone (312.525.3749).

Users may discontinue utilizing the Community & Services at anytime through modifying their profile form and clicking on the "Delete Account" button provided. Users can also request via e-mail (elearning@ncsbn.org) or phone (312.525.3749) the removal of their information from our database and/or to not receive future communications.

Information Sharing and Disclosure to Third Parties

NCSBN does not rent or sell Personal Information about you to other people or nonaffiliated companies except to provide products or services you have requested, when we have your permission, or as otherwise described in this privacy policy.

We provide your Personal Information to third party service providers who work on behalf of or with NCSBN under confidentiality agreements to provide some of the services and features of the Community and Services and to help us communicate with Community members. These service providers will not use your Personal Information to communicate with you about offers from the service providers themselves.

We will disclose Personal Information in response to subpoenas, court orders, or legal process, or to establish or exercise our legal rights or defend against legal claims. We may disclose such Personal Information, if we believe it is necessary to investigate, prevent, or take action regarding suspected illegal activities or fraud, situations involving the physical safety of any person, violations of NCSBN’s terms of use, or as otherwise required by applicable law.

The Site may contain links to other sites outside our control. NCSBN is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such Web sites.

Regarding Children Under 13

The NCSBN Community and Services are not marketed to children under the age of 13 and we do not intentionally gather Personal Information about visitors who are under the age of 13. NCSBN is committed to protecting the privacy of children and if NCSBN becomes aware that such Personal Information was collected, it will treat that Personal Information as sensitive.

Agreement with Privacy Policy

By registering and/or logging onto this Site, you signify your agreement to the terms of the Privacy Policy and any modifications thereof and that you release and hold harmless the NCSBN, its Directors and employees from any and all claims arising from the loss, misuse or alteration of personally identifying information posted by you.

Contact Us

Should you have any questions or concerns regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact us:

NCSBN
111 E. Wacker Dr.
Ste. 2900
Chicago, IL 60601-4277
privacy@ncsbn.org