School of Nursing receives accreditation from Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education

July 11, 2012 - Shorter University today announced that the university’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program has received accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The accreditation was awarded for a five-year period extending to June 30, 2017. Five years is the maximum length of accreditation given by the CCNE for a first-time accreditation.

“We are pleased to have received the maximum number of years of accreditation from the CCNE, which recognizes the excellence of our program,” said Roxanne Johnston, who serves with Angela Haynes as co-interim dean of Shorter’s School of Nursing. “We have worked hard to build a nursing program of distinction that offers the best in nursing education while also reflecting Shorter University’s mission as a Christ-centered institution. We are glad that the CCNE has found value in the work we do.”

 “Shorter’s nursing program benefits from a close partnership with the local nursing community and from the generous support of many organizations, including several grants from the Georgia Baptist Health Care Ministry Foundation,” said Shorter University President Dr. Don Dowless. “We appreciate the support of these partners in helping us prepare future nurses who will live out Shorter’s mission of transforming lives through Christ.”

Officially recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a national accreditation agency, CCNE is an autonomous accrediting agency, contributing to the improvement of the public’s health. According to its website, CCNE ensures the quality and integrity of baccalaureate, graduate, and residency programs in nursing by assessing and identifying programs that engage in effective educational 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.

Shorter announced its plans to offer the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in early 2008 with the first nursing classes beginning in the fall of 2010. The first class of BSN students graduated in May 2012. In addition to excellent health care training, Shorter's BSN program has a unique component that complements the university's Christ-centered mission; all nursing majors are required to take part in a global health care study and medical missions experience. For two years, this requirement has taken Shorter’s student nurses to Bulgaria, where they have served in orphanages, and to England, where they have studied health care delivery systems.

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