ECU’s College of Nursing recognized as NLN Center of Excellence for 17th straight year

ECU's College of Nursing recognized as NLN Center of Excellence for 17th straight year

GREENVILLE, N.C. (07/22/25) - East Carolina University's College of Nursing has been designated a Center of Excellence for 2025 by the National League of Nursing, a recognition of the college's dedication to educating the next generation of nurses who are revolutionizing health care across North Carolina.

Pirate nursing has been continuously recognized as a Center of Excellence by NLN since 2008.

"I want to thank everyone connected with the College of Nursing for the heavy lifting, leadership and numerous sacrifices that contributed to this outcome," said Dr. Bimbola Akintade, dean of the College of Nursing. "This recognition comes on the heels of the 10-year accreditation assessments by the North Carolina Board of Nursing and Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, as well as a visit from the Bedford Falls Foundation, which resulted in funding for our new advanced military medic accelerated BSN program."

Representatives from the College of Nursing will formally receive the recognition during the NLN's Education Summit in Orlando, Florida, on Sept. 19.

"I couldn't be more proud to be part of a team - students, faculty, staff, alumni and supporters - dedicated to excellence in every area," Akintade said. "I believe our college is North Carolina's flagship center of nursing education and research."

Among the College of Nursing's notable accomplishments that contributed to the Center of Excellence designation:

• Over 1,400 students continuously enrolled in baccalaureate, master's and doctoral programs
• The highest number of new graduate nurses of any four-year institution in North Carolina
• Only nurse midwifery program in North Carolina
• Only clinical nurse specialist program in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee and Florida
• The only fully accredited nursing simulation program in North Carolina, accredited by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare

"The National League for Nursing is proud to offer the Centers of Excellence program as a way to recognize schools that have demonstrated a commitment to excellence and invested resources over a sustained period of time to distinguish themselves in a specific area related to nursing education," said Elizabeth Reyna, NLN's membership director and foundation manager. "It is an honor to count East Carolina University among the outstanding group of recipients of this designation."

For more than a century, the NLN has promoted excellence in nursing education, helping nursing education institutions build a strong and diverse nursing workforce that advances the health of the nation and the global community.

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