Minot State University
01/10/2025 | News release | Distributed by Public on 01/10/2025 11:47
Accreditation process reaffirms Department of Nursing excellence
By Emma Cornejo
University Communications Student Assistant
MINOT, N.D. - Minot State Department of Nursing excels in nursing excellence.
One key component reaffirming this is a current National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) passing rate of 100% in 2023.
Part of the MSU Department of Nursing's commitment to excellence is having a complex, accredited program designed for nursing success, and the department is busy working through renewing its accreditation this year.
Amy Lee, chair of the department of nursing, expressed her pride in the program and its mission.
"It is a time for our program to shine and really be proud of the work we are doing, the nurses that we are creating, and the environment we create so that students can succeed and be great nurses," Lee said. "Nursing is something you must have a passion for."
MSU nursing is accredited not only regionally in North Dakota but also nationally.
"Regionally, the program is accredited by the North Dakota Board of Nursing (NDBON), which is essential for legally operating within the state and allows our graduates to be eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN)," Lee said. "Additionally, the program is nationally accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), which is a voluntary certification indicating that our program meets the rigorous standards of nursing education."
According to Lee, regional and national accreditation is essential for students, not only to show the program is teaching at the highest standards but to help students move on in their academic careers.
"Not only is CCNE accreditation a mark of quality for our program, graduating from a nursing program that is nationally accredited is usually a requirement if students wish to pursue a graduate degree in the nursing field," she added.
Ensuring that the program meets every requirement can be a daunting task and challenging to prove despite knowing that it is embedded into the program, it is all a collaborative effort between faculty, staff, and students to prove.
"It is such a big task; we must show how our program and curriculum show not only the standard but also the concepts and the essentials of preparing new nurses for the environment," Lee said. "Achieving and maintaining CCNE accreditation involves an in-depth, ongoing evaluation by our faculty, examining everything from curriculum and clinical experiences to faculty credentials, student support, and outcome measures.
"This year, we are also incorporating the updated 2024 standards and the new Essentials from 2021, which define the core curriculum and expected competencies for baccalaureate nursing graduates."
With brand new standards introduced this year, the nursing program must now prove again how MSU nursing educates on the required core curriculum.
"One of the biggest differences between this self-study and the one we wrote in 2020 is that instead of speaking to how we met the nine defined essentials of baccalaureate education for professional nursing practice, under the 2021 Essentials, we must speak to how we meet the 10 domains, the eight concepts, and the 45 competencies," Lee explained.
However, more than simply showing on paper how the curriculum of MSU nursing meets the standard, the students must exhibit it, as well.
"We need to show that our students are demonstrating and showing us that they can meet these competencies," she said. "That our student can not only understand it but apply it and think critically to care for patients."
Lee referenced multiple areas on Minot State's website and national websites to help individuals further understand what accreditation looks like and how it is measured.
"I encourage you to take a look at the Essentials and review the domains, concepts, and competencies - it will give you an idea of how we structure the curriculum in our program," Lee added. "In addition, we write our Student Learning Outcomes based on these standards and evaluate Student Achievement Outcomes based on them as well."
To review MSU's Essentials and for MSU and national websites, see related links:
About Minot State University
Minot State University is a public university dedicated to excellence in education, scholarship, and community engagement achieved through rigorous academic experiences, active learning environments, commitment to public service, and a vibrant campus life.
Published: 01/10/25