Idaho State University School of Nursing earns 10-year accreditation from CCNE

The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) has granted continued accreditation to the baccalaureate and master's degree programs in nursing at Idaho State University for the full term of 10 years.

"We are very pleased as a school to receive continued accreditation," said Carol A. Ashton, associate dean and director of the School of Nursing. "The board, based on the on-site evaluation, essentially gave us a perfect report card. We met all four accreditation standards as well as all key elements for compliance."

Ashton said the report is a major indicator of the excellence of the School of Nursing's program.

"The report allows us to critique and review all aspects of our programs and provides a framework for the School of Nursing to advance in the application of standards for baccalaureate and master's programs," Ashton said. "It is a long process but helps us to continue our quality improvements for the future of health care reform and delivery."

The School of Nursing will continue to be eligible for research and educational grants and contracts for students and faculty because of continued accreditation.

"That means the programs in the School of Nursing will continue to be state-of-the-art and the best for students interested in careers in nursing at the undergraduate and graduate level," said Ashton. "Having that designation says to students, leaders, parents and government officials that we have high quality, exemplary nursing programs at ISU."

According the CCNE website, CCNE accreditation is a nongovernmental peer review process that operates in accordance with nationally recognized standards established for the practice of accreditation in the United States. The Commission ensures the quality and integrity of baccalaureate, graduate and residency programs in nursing.

The CCNE also serves the public interest by assessing and identifying programs that engage in effective practices. As a voluntary, self-regulatory process, CCNE accreditation supports and encourages continuing self-assessment by nursing programs and supports continuing growth and improvement of collegiate professional education and post-baccalaureate nurse residency programs.

For more information about the CCNE visit http://www.aacn.nche.edu/accreditation/.

###