University of Mount Olive RN to BSN Degree Program Receives National Accreditation
University of Mount Olive RN to BSN Degree Program Receives National Accreditation
MOUNT OLIVE- The University of Mount Olive has recently received a letter from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) informing the institution that the Registered Nurse (RN) to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree program is now nationally accredited.
The official accreditation is exciting news for UMO as it demonstrates that the curriculum meets certain standards and objectives set by the CCNE. The RN to BSN nursing program began in January of 2012 with a cohort of 20 UMO students. Now, there are 90 students enrolled in the program and the Nursing Department is anticipating over 30 additional students to register for the upcoming spring semester. As on August 2014, the program has graduated 55 students.
According to Dr. Joy Kieffer, the division chair and assistant professor of nursing, the accreditation process has been long, but rewarding for the UMO nursing program. The CCNE accreditation process began in 2012, and the department proceeded to collect two semesters worth of program assessment data and created a self-study document that reported every aspect of the degree program. Then, the CCNE Board evaluated the reports and made the final decision to approve the RN to BSN accreditation for five years. The total accreditation process took nine semesters to complete.
“The accreditation demonstrates to the nursing students that their program meets specific high standards, and adequately prepares them for practice at the baccalaureate degree level,” said Kieffer. “For nurses who are evaluating prospective programs, our CCNE accredited status tells them that that the education they receive with us will provide them with the knowledge to practice at the next level in their nursing career. It’s also very significant for students who may want to continue on to graduate nursing education.”
The University of Mount Olive is a private institution rooted in the liberal arts tradition with defining Christian values. The University, sponsored by the Convention of Original Free Will Baptists, has locations in Mount Olive, New Bern, Wilmington, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, Research Triangle Park, Washington, Jacksonville, and in Smithfield at Johnston Community College. For more information, visit old.umo.edu.