Carr College of Nursing receives new accreditation

June 16, 2017 | Nursing |

Harding University Carr College of Nursing received accreditation for several programs from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) in May. The CCNE accreditation includes bachelor’s and master’s nursing degrees as well as a post-graduate certificate program.

“This accreditation communicates that the nursing administration and faculty are accountable for quality student outcomes and program effectiveness,” said Dr. Susan Kehl, dean of the College of Nursing. “Students benefit from attending an accredited program that continually evaluates outcomes.”

Harding’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program has been accredited since 1980. According to Kehl, the recent accreditation was pursued with CCNE because of the organization’s resources, governance and quality standards. This is the first accreditation for the Master of Science in Nursing for family nurse practitioners and post-graduate certification programs, both of which began in fall 2015 and completed accreditation as soon as the process allowed.

The CCNE accreditation was awarded by the CCNE Board of Commissioners in May after the University conducted a self-study and hosted a site visit for nursing administrators in September 2016. According to Kehl, this process enabled the site visitors to evaluate and verify compliance with standards such as program quality, governance, resources, curriculum, program effectiveness and mission. Kehl said the faculty and student commitment to mission is one of the greatest strengths in the College of Nursing.

“We are honored to work with students who are eager to learn and grow to become excellent nursing professionals,” Kehl said. “When nursing graduates see their work as a Christian mission and are committed to excellence, their contribution is invaluable to patients and potential employers.”

The CCNE accreditation went into effect September 2016 and will continue until June 2022.