Nursing Program Receives CCNE Accreditation

The Texas A&M University-Commerce Bachelor of Science in Nursing program received official notice of national accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). CCNE is an autonomous accrediting agency that serves as a voluntary, self-regulatory process to encourage the continuous improvement of nursing education and post-baccalaureate residency programs. Receiving CCNE accreditation is achieved after a review of the program's mission, goals, expected outcomes, and an assessment of the program's performance.

“This assures the students that they are receiving a quality education and that we have developed a program that meets education standards,” said Dr. Barbara Tucker, director of the nursing department. “The accreditation of a baccalaureate program is very critical because most graduate programs will not accept students that do not come from an accredited program,”

Founded in 1995, CCNE is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for accrediting baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral programs around the United States. The agency strives to serve the public interest by assessing and identifying programs that engage in effective educational practices.

“It is critical for us to stay on the cutting edge and give our students the best education we can manage,” said Tucker. “We also have an incredible support system through the university that has helped us along the way.”

The nursing program recently graduated its first class of 16 students in December 2014. Of those students five were inducted into The Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International. This class also included two second bachelor's degree students, a licensed vocational nurse, a paramedic, and an associate degree RN receiving her BSN.

The program will have a total of 80 students beginning in January 2015 with more than 1,200 students registered as nursing majors on campus. Honors College and Regents Scholars students are eligible for early admission into the program. For more information on the nursing program, visit tamuc.edu/Nursing.