UDC Community College Applied Science Nursing Program awarded initial accreditation 5/12/20

UDC Community College Applied Science Nursing Program awarded initial accreditation 5/12/20

UDC COMMUNITY COLLEGE APPLIED SCIENCE NURSING PROGRAM AWARDED INITIAL ACCREDITATION

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 11, 2020

Contact: John Gordon, Jr., Director of Communications 202.274.5998 (o); 202.701.8805 (c); john.gordon@udc.edu

WASHINGTON, DC— On April 20, 2020, the Applied Science (AAS) in Nursing Program of the University of the District of Columbia Community College (UDC-CC) was notified by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) of the award of their Initial Accreditation. With this award, the Commission recognizes the UDC-CC Nursing Program’s commitment and highest standards in academic excellence.

On October 8-10, 2019, the UDC-CC AAS Nursing program was evaluated by Accreditation Site Visitors who came to clarify, verify, and amplify the program’s Self-Study Report. At the end of the visit, they declared that the program had met all the standards: Administrative Capacity, Faculty and Staff, Students, Curriculum, Resources, and Outcomes. One of the site visitors highlighted how the nursing process was embedded throughout the curriculum, with an emphasis on safety, and the inclusion and collaboration of interdisciplinary team members to assist with patient care.

“UDC-CC is a major hub for the citizens of the District, and local hospitals pay close attention to the quality of education and training that students receive,” said Dr. Bushra Ahmad Saeed, Division Director, Nursing, Allied Health, Life and Physical Sciences (NAHLPS), UDC-CC. “Earning accreditation through ACEN is a rigorous, voluntary, faculty-driven process that supports and encourages continuing self-assessment and growth of the program. The accreditation further validates the University’s ongoing commitment to excellence in nursing education.”

During January 2020, as the final step in the process, the ACEN Evaluation Review Panel (ERP) reviewed and deliberated the site visit report (SVR) and recommended the AAS Nursing Program for Initial Accreditation to the Board of Commissioners (BOC). In March, the BOC reviewed and deliberated over the ERP’s recommendation.

On April 20, 2020, the AAS Nursing program received initial accreditation from ACEN. This accreditation dates back to the date of candidacy, November 2018, and is valid until March 2025.

Although our Nursing Program has now officially been validated by ACEN with the award of its initial accreditation, there is no finer reward for the Nursing faculty, administration, and staff than recognition by their peers for the cooperative spirit and professional determination it took to achieve that greater goal,” said Dr. Marilyn Hamilton, Dean of UDC-CC Office of Academic Affairs. “Now, the larger DC community will have the opportunity to reap the rewards of a strong and growing Nursing Program.”

Upon graduating from the AAS program, nursing students appear for their licensure examination, the NCLEX-RN®, which is administered by the National Council Licensure Examination. The program at UDC-CC has an 88 percent NCLEX-RN pass rate for first-time test takers. The faculty are diligent in maintaining the high pass rates, which further validates the high quality of the AAS Nursing Program at UDC-CC.