GW School of Nursing receives full accreditation from CCNE

Nov 2 2010

The George Washington University School of Nursing has received full accreditation for its bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

"Acquiring full accreditation reinforces the strength of our programs, faculty, and leadership," said Jean Johnson, Ph.D., F.A.A.N., dean of the School of Nursing. "This is another step in building our national reputation and academic standing among nursing education institutions."

The accreditation process involves a self-study and a site visit by the CCNE, where a team of five visitors examined the school's documents, curriculum detail, and policy. The School of Nursing, which was established in July 2010, received the maximum accreditation of five years for new programs for its second degree Bachelor of Science in Nursing program and Doctor of Nursing program, and the maximum accreditation of 10 years for its previously accredited Master of Science in nursing programs.

The School of Nursing, which already has 30 faculty members and expects to hire more top-level professionals in the field, is housed on both GW's Foggy Bottom campus and on its Loudoun County, VA, campus. All of the school's classroom exercises and a newly built 3,000-square-foot simulation lab are located at the GW Virginia Science and Technology campus.

GW's nursing students have the opportunity to take advantage of the school's location in D.C., as the curriculum provides students with an understanding of health care policy and exposes them to high-level leaders in the field. In addition, GW has nationally recognized partnerships with the National Committee for Quality Assurance to offer the only Master of Science Nursing program in the country with a focus of study in quality improvement. These partnerships build on the growing expertise of faculty in the area of quality improvement and the Robert Wood Johnson Funded Nursing Alliance for Quality of Care, which is housed in the School of Nursing.

"Nurses are in high demand due to health care reform and an aging population, as well as an aging nursing workforce," said John F. Williams, M.D., Ed.D., M.P.H., senior vice provost and vice president for Health Affairs. "Our accredited nursing programs directly address the high demand for nurses in our country, allowing GW to provide graduates who will play a critical role in patient care.

Source: George Washington University Medical Center