MISENHEIMER — Pfeiffer University’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program has received initial accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), the premier national accreditation agency for baccalaureate, graduate and residency programs in nursing. This designation ensures current and prospective students that Pfeiffer’s program, which opened in 2009, offers and is held to the same high standards as similarly accredited nursing programs across the United States.
The accreditation is marked effective as of Feb. 20, the date of CCNE’s initial on-site evaluation at Pfeiffer’s Misenheimer campus. During this visit, a team of CCNE evaluators from across the country reviewed the nursing program’s documentation and interviewed faculty, administration, staff, students and alumni. Initial accreditation is granted for a five-year term ending in 2018, demonstrating the agency’s confidence in the program’s ability to consistently meet the stringent standards required for high-quality nursing programs.
“Recognition of Pfeiffer’s nursing program indicates the drive for academic excellence by the department and university overall,” said Dr. Dianne Y. Daniels, program chair. “Rapidly changing health care settings and an evolving health care system require programs to participate in ongoing assessment and benchmarking. Accreditation assures that graduates of Pfeiffer’s BSN program meet expected standards for professional education, making them qualified not only to practice nursing but pursue advanced degrees as well.”
Earlier this year, Pfeiffer’s BSN program received approval from the North Carolina Board of Nursing, a designation that makes nursing students eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX), which they must pass to receive a nursing license. This preceded the graduation of Pfeiffer’s first class of nursing students in spring 2013.
State approval and national accreditation are important for nursing students who seek financial aid. In their absence, students often do not qualify for federal or state financial assistance, tuition reimbursement from private and public employers, including the Veterans Administration or scholarships or grants. It is also vital for the transferability of academic credit into a graduate nursing program.
According to CCNE’s website, it offers a nongovernmental peer review process that operates in accordance with nationally recognized standards. An accrediting body of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), whose membership Pfeiffer’s BSN program holds, CCNE is an autonomous, national voice for baccalaureate and graduate nursing education. Recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, CCNE serves the public interest by assessing and identifying programs that engage in effective educational practices. The four standards on which CCNE evaluates program for accreditation are mission and governance, institutional commitment and resources, curriculum and teaching-learning practices, and aggregate student and faculty outcomes.