University of Mount Olive MSN Program Receives Accreditation
MOUNT OLIVE – The Master of Science in Nursing program at the University of Mount Olive (UMO) has received accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
According to Dr. Joy Kieffer, Founding Chair and Associate Professor of Nursing at UMO, this accreditation means that the nursing curriculum met the standards set by the CCNE at a graduate level.
“Our MSN degree program has also demonstrated that our curriculum allows students to meet each of those objectives, and that UMO has the support systems in place to assist our MSN degree program students in achieving their goals, such as financial aid, transfer credit, library services, academic support services, etc.,” Kieffer said. “This is similar to what the accreditation hospitals strive to achieve by the Joint Commission.”
UMO’s Master of Science in Nursing online program began in August of 2016 in order to meet the rising demand for a higher educated nursing workforce. To date there are 11 graduates of the program.
What does this new accreditation mean for UMO students and grads? Kieffer said, “Being accredited by CCNE demonstrates to our current students and alumni that UMO meets specific high standards, and adequately prepares nurses for practice at the graduate level. For baccalaureate prepared nurses who are evaluating prospective programs, our CCNE accreditation status tells them that the education they receive at UMO will provide them with the knowledge to practice at the next level in their nursing career. “
In regard to next steps, the Division of Nursing is focusing on growth and development of their current online programs, RN to BSN and MSN.
“In the immediate future; however, we are also discussing what benefits a pre-licensure BSN degree program would bring to the delivery of healthcare in Wayne and surrounding counties, and what a doctorate in nursing education would bring to the training of future generations of baccalaureate and master’s prepared nurses in Wayne and surrounding counties,” Kieffer said. “Our future is bright, and the sky is the limit!”
The Master of Science in Nursing program at the University of Mount Olive is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.
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, in Smithfield at Johnston Community College, and online. For more information, visit www.umo.edu.
Third from left Dr. Joy Kieffer, Founding Chair and Associate Professor of Nursing at UMO, talks with Wayne UNC scholarship recipients who are taking the online RN to BSN degree program at the University of Mount Olive.