The UNC Chapel Hill School of Nursing is pleased to announce that its Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and Post-Graduate APRN certificate programs have received accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The accreditations are effective from Oct. 6, 2014, when the first onsite evaluation occurred, and extend to June 30, 2020.
The DNP program of study builds upon baccalaureate education and expands current MSN education to prepare nurses for clinical leadership and hands-on advanced practice. Graduates of the DNP program receive preparation in such key areas as evidence-based practice, organization and systems leadership, finance, health policy, information technology, population health, patient safety, and translational research with the goal of improving patient and population health status and outcomes.
The SON’s accreditation efforts were lead by Debra Barksdale, professor and DNP program director. “The DNP program does not create a new role; rather it provides advanced practice nurses and health systems leaders with additional knowledge and skills that better prepares them to address evolving and increasingly complex societal needs,” stated Dr. Barksdale.
The School of Nursing offers post-master’s certificates in psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner, informatics, and administration.
The SON excelled in all four of the standards evaluated by CCNE, which included program quality related to mission and governance, institutional commitment and resources; curriculum and teaching-learning practices; and assessment and achievement of program outcomes.
“These CCNE accreditations help validate that the quality and effectiveness that we strive for in our programs is occurring,” said Donna S. Havens, interim dean of the School of Nursing. “We are continuously working to grow, innovate, and improve all our undergraduate and graduate programs.”
Since beginning in fall 2013, the DNP program has had eight graduates and will have 64 enrolled students in fall 2015.
Officially recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a national accreditation agency, CCNE ensures the quality and integrity of baccalaureate, graduate, and residency programs in nursing. The School’s baccalaureate and master’s programs received CCNE reaccreditation in 2012.
Read more:
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program
Post-master’s Certificates
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education