Cleveland, TN–The Lee University School of Nursing Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree program has once again been awarded accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The Washington, DC-based CCNE Board of Commissioners met in May to determine accreditation approvals.
The action is retroactive to the first day of the accreditation visit on Sept. 21, 2020, and extends to 2030. All four accreditation standards were met, with no compliance concerns. Ten years is the maximum time awarded to programs previously accredited.
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program with a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) track was granted accreditation for five years, which is the maximum time awarded to programs accredited for the first time. All four accreditation standards were met, with no compliance concerns. The DNP program began in January of 2019 and will have its first graduates in December 2021, which ensures that the first graduates of the program will graduate from an accredited program.
Professional accrediting agencies assess the degree to which nursing programs achieve their mission, goals, and expected outcomes, in addition to engaging in ongoing, continuous improvement. Nursing programs must write an extensive self-study, demonstrating achievement of accreditation standards. In addition, a campus visit by an accreditation team occurs, allowing opportunity to view documents and interview key constituents such as students, faculty, staff, alumni, and healthcare professionals in facilities hosting nursing students for clinical or practicum experiences.
“The excellence that faculty, staff, and students put forth each day leads to successful accreditation,” said Dr. Sara Campbell, dean of the School of Nursing. “They also actively contribute to the preparation process of writing the self-study and interviewing with accreditation team members during the visit. Other key support and contributions come from alumni, the broader Lee campus, and the School of Nursing Advisory Council, composed of healthcare leaders in the region.”
According to Campbell, an accredited nursing program affects scholarship and financial aid opportunities of its students, as well as future pursuit of graduate school. The School of Nursing also houses a non-nursing major/minor, Disaster and Healthcare Mission Management. Some nursing majors take advantage of the DHMM minor, building an even stronger resume for their future.
Lee University was authorized to launch the BSN program by action of the Tennessee Board of Nursing in early 2013. The program opened with its first freshman class in August 2014, under Campbell’s leadership. The first accreditation was received in 2016, retroactive to fall 2015.
The Commission of Collegiate Nursing Education serves higher education institutions and acute care hospitals throughout the United States.
For more information about Lee’s School of Nursing, visit https://www.leeuniversity.edu/academics/nursing.
(Source: Lee University)