The nursing program at EMU underwent a major physical exam and received a clean bill of health from a major accrediting body.
The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), Washington, D.C., granted the baccalaureate degree program full accreditation for a term of ten years, ending June 30, 2014.
The board determined that EMU’s nursing program met all accreditation standards with no compliance concerns, according to department chair Arlene G. Wiens.
The accreditation includes the “RN to BS” (registered nurse to bachelor of science degree) program offered through EMU’s Adult Degree Completion Program.
“This national recognition is especially encouraging in that it’s for the longest term possible,” Dr. Wiens said. “This agency permits greater freedom in the way we develop our curriculum and establish desired outcomes, but it also holds us to our very own high standards,” she added.
In its report, the visiting team noted that students “consistently spoke of faculty efforts to live out the mission and service philosophy of the Mennonite Church as well as that of the nursing department.” Students also noted that faculty treated them with respect while holding them to a high expectation level.
Health care administrators who were interviewed spoke of EMU students exhibiting “high moral values, strong communication skills, good critical thinking and broader views toward others.” Nursing graduates, they said, demonstrated self-confidence, a strong sense of values and culture.”
EMU’s nursing program is also accredited by the National League of Nursing and by the Virginia State Board of Nursing.
EMU currently has about 100 declared nursing majors or who intend to apply for nursing major status at the junior year level. Wiens noted a growth trend in the RN-BS program, in that nearly half of this spring’s nursing graduates were registered nurses who returned to earn a bachelor of science degree.