Only days after the charter class of nursing students graduated, Director of Nursing Nancy Duffy received the exciting news that the program has been granted full accreditation status by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
“Getting the news was extremely exciting, but also a huge relief,” said Duffy. “After years of planning, paperwork, meetings and site visits, we were fairly confident our program would be granted accreditation. But until the official word comes down, there is always the thought in the back of your mind that maybe the news will not be good. We are thrilled that our news was good.”
The program was aggressive in pursuing accreditation, according to Duffy. She said receiving accreditation four-and-a-half years from the start of the process is especially hard to accomplish for a new program.
“Many potential employers offer residency programs and will accept only those BSNs from accredited programs. Students who wish to continue their education at the graduate level must come from an accredited program,” said Duffy. “We wanted to ensure our students had every advantage after graduation.
“We look forward to staying competitive and on the forefront of health care. We are constantly seeking feedback from our faculty, students and colleagues in the nursing field to stay current and to keep our curriculum fresh.”