Doctor of Nursing Practice program received accreditation

KSU Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Debbie Thomas updated the Board of Regents on the recent accreditation of the Doctor of Nursing Practice program.
The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) recently approved accreditation for the program.
The program began January 2015. The DNP program is an online program that emphasizes adult-gerontology primary care. With a focus on gerontology, the program addresses a critical need in an increasingly aging population.
According to a letter from Marsal P. Stoll, Ed.D., the chief executive officer of ACEN, “the program faculty and the Director of Distance Learning are to be commended on the quality of the online course templates developed to support the DNP program and for the Quality Matters certification of the faculty.”
“The faculty were recognized by students, other units on campus, and administrators for the quality of their instruction and the support for the learning environment of students and genuine commitment to their success,” according to a letter from Stoll.
Accreditation from ACEN is effective through the spring semester of 2022, when the next evaluation visit is scheduled.
The DNP program offers rigorous curriculum, state-of-the-art simulation and immersion in clinical rotations to prepare future nurse practitioners. The program is also far-reaching since it is offered online and available to nurses across the nation.
The accreditation comes at a historic time in KSU’s nursing program history. The School of Nursing is celebrating its 50th anniversary.