The University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing has received
a 10-year accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
UNMC was one of the first nursing colleges in the country to seek accreditation
through the newly created commission which ensures the quality and integrity
of nursing institutions with bachelors and masters degree programs.
The commission to date has accredited 104 programs and 64 institutions
with bachelors and masters degree nursing programs, said Marge Jackman,
of the commission. Accreditation can be awarded from the minimum period
of one year up to 10 years, depending on findings of the accreditation
review.
Until last year, colleges and schools of nursing gained accreditation
through the National League for Nursing which was the only nationally recognized
accrediting body of all nursing programs, including certificates and diplomas
for licensed practical nurses and registered nurses, as well as bachelors
and masters programs.
The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education is an independent arm
of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. It began its accreditation
review activities in 1998.
The dean of the UNMC College of Nursing, Ada Lindsey, Ph.D., said accreditation
tells faculty how it is meeting and exceeding the national standards. The
underlying philosophy of this self-study and accreditation process is to
continuously improve what we do, Dr. Lindsey said. We were very pleased
to be awarded the 10-year accreditation. This clearly is one mark of quality.
The college has had a long history of accreditation from the National League
for Nursing and recognition from the new commission is exciting news.
Accreditation is a process by which an educational institution seeks
to demonstrate it meets standards of quality. Commission standards include
quality mission and governance, quality institutional commitment and resources,
quality curriculum and teaching-learning practices and quality program
effectiveness — student performance and faculty accomplishments.
Most nursing programs in the United States are accredited. Accreditation
status not only attracts students, often it is required to get research
grants or other federal funding. As a voluntary, self-regulatory process,
accreditation supports and encourages self-assessment by nursing education
programs and the continuing growth and improvement of collegiate professional
education.
In order to be accepted into most masters degree programs, students
must have earned bachelor degrees from accredited institutions, said Catherine
Bevil, Ed.D., director of continuing nursing education and evaluation,
UNMC College of Nursing.
The process for accreditation is intense. Throughout 1998, nursing
faculty and staff compiled two file cabinets full of references from which
it submitted a 300-page report to the accreditation board.
Last spring, for one week, a team of three evaluators questioned faculty,
students, graduates, employers and campus administrators. The team evaluated
the Omaha, Lincoln, Kearney and Scottsbluff campuses as they observed classes
and students in clinics, went through course materials, and scrutinized
faculty work and credentials during their visit.
The evaluators were validating the 300-page report we compiled about
our program and faculty, Dr. Bevil said. Its a time-consuming, rigorous
process you have to go through. We think the evaluators were truly impressed,
from the caliber of our students to our distance learning innovations.
Dr. Bevil said the commission evaluated clinical practice, teaching
and research.
The teams major emphasis is on program outcomes and teaching and research
outputs, she said. They look at what the faculty are producing. They
scrutinized the graduation rates of our students, how many students get
certified as nurses, the accomplishments of our graduates and what kind
of employment they find.
The UNMC College of Nursing is the largest nursing school in the state
with 110 faculty members and 700 students at its Omaha, Lincoln, Kearney
and Scottsbluff campuses. It is the only nursing school in the state to
offer undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees.
UNMC is the only public academic health science center in the state.
Through its commitment to research, education, outreach and patient care,
UNMC has established itself as one of the country’s leading centers for
cancer research and treatment and solid organ transplantation. Nearly $32
million in research grants and contracts were awarded to UNMC scientists
during the past fiscal year. In addition, UNMCs educational programs are
responsible for training more health professionals practicing in Nebraska
than any other institution.