Nursing, health sciences go ‘above and beyond’ with CCNE accreditation
MVNU’s School of Nursing and Health Sciences recently announced that they met all standards to receive the maximum 10 years of accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The CCNE accreditation process is entirely voluntary on the part of the University and is not required for nursing programs, but rather demonstrates a desire to go beyond the state’s required standards.
Qualifications for the accreditation are somewhat extensive, requiring a self-study detailing the program’s adherence to CCNE standards and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials. Following submission of the self-study is a multi-day visit by a team of nurse educators and practicing nurses, who then make a written recommendation to the CCNE Accreditation Review Committee. This recommendation, along with an institutional response from the university, is reviewed by the CCNE Board of Commissioners, which makes the final decision.
Carol Dorough, dean of the school of nursing and health sciences, emphasized the variety of reasons why an accredited program is valuable for nursing students. “It increases the possibility for them to be accepted into a graduate nursing program,” Dorough said. “Many graduate nursing programs will not admit students whose undergraduate degree is not from an accredited program.”
Dorough also noted that it can be difficult for students who graduated from non-accredited nursing programs to secure nursing jobs, as some hospitals only hire graduates from accredited schools. “Rigorous accreditation standards assure a high quality of education that may or may not take place in a non-accredited program,” Dorough said.
MVNU’s nursing program also received the maximum five full years of approval from the Ohio Board of Nursing (OBN), which allows graduates to take the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX) and become Registered Nurses. Dorough said this “combination of CCNE accreditation and OBN approval solidifies the quality of nursing programs and preparedness of graduates,” putting MVNU’s nursing graduates at the top of the list.