IWC working to regain national nursing accreditation

By BROOKS TAYLOR

Mt. Pleasant News

Iowa Wesleyan College is in the process of applying to regain its accreditation with the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), according to a college official.

The school had its nursing program accreditation revoked last spring, but college officials said they are unsure why the accreditation was revoked. ?I am not sure what happened. I was not here and President (Steven) Titus was not here,? said Dick McCallum, IWC?s vice president for academic affairs.

Without ACEN accreditation, nursing students transferring from IWC or graduating from the college could experience difficulty in gaining acceptance into another school?s nursing program for further education.

McCallum said that has not been the case with May graduates. ?All of our May graduates who wanted to go to graduate school were successful in their efforts.?

However, the loss would not prevent graduates from becoming professional nurses. That?s because the school is accredited by the Iowa Board of Nursing. That accreditation allows graduates to take licensure examinations and begin their nursing career.

?We received notice from the state (Iowa Board of Nursing) in March of 2012 that we are fully accredited for the next six years,? McCallum pointed out. ?Since we are fully accredited by the state, it gives our nursing students the green light to do anything they want to do. They can sit for licensure and pursue employment opportunities in our state.?

In fact, McCallum said he doubts IWC nursing graduates would experience any difficulty in gaining their license or employment in any state.

?I think it is important that our students and the community understand that with state accreditation, we have a solid nursing program,? he noted.

McCallum referred to the ACEN accreditation as a ?secondary accreditation.?

Some of the criteria for ACEN accreditation, according to the ACEN website, includes the following.

Faculty and staff

? Full-time faculty hold a minimum of a graduate degree with a major in nursing; a minimum of 25 percent of the full-time faculty also hold an earned doctorate or are currently enrolled in doctoral study.

Full- and part-time faculty include those individuals teaching and/or evaluating students in classroom, clinical or laboratory settings.

? Part-time faculty hold a minimum of a graduate degree with a major in nursing.

? Faculty (full- and part-time) credentials meet governing organization and state requirements.

? Faculty (full- and part-time) maintain expertise in their areas of responsibility, and their performance reflects scholarship and evidence-based teaching and clinical practices.

? The number, utilization and credentials of staff and non-nurse faculty within the nursing education unit are sufficient to achieve the program goals and outcomes.

? Systematic assessment of faculty (full- or part-time) performance demonstrates competencies that are consistent with program goals and outcomes.

? Faculty (full- and part-time) engage in ongoing development and receive support for instructional and distance technologies.

Students

? Policies for nursing students are congruent with those of the governing organization, publicly accessible, non-discriminatory and consistently applied; differences are justified by the student learning outcomes and program outcomes.

? Changes in policies, procedures and program information are clearly and consistently communicated to students in a timely manner.

? Student educational records are in compliance with the policies of the governing organization and state and federal guidelines.

? Compliance with the Higher Educational Reauthorization Act Title IV eligibility and certification requirements is maintained, including default rates and the results of financial or compliance audits.

A written, comprehensive student loan repayment program addressing student loan information, counseling, monitoring and cooperation with lenders is available.

Students are informed of their ethical responsibilities regarding financial assistance.

Financial aid records are maintained in compliance with the policies of the governing organization, state and federal guidelines.

? Records reflect that program complaints and grievances receive due process and include evidence of resolution.

? Orientation to technology is provided and technological support is available to students.

? Information related to technology requirements and policies specific to distance education are accurate, clear, consistent and accessible.

Curriculum

? The curriculum incorporates established professional standards, guidelines and competencies, and has clearly articulated student learning outcomes and program outcomes consistent with contemporary practice.

? The student learning outcomes are used to organize the curriculum, guide the delivery of instruction, direct learning activities and evaluate student progress.

? The curriculum is developed by the faculty and regularly reviewed to ensure integrity, rigor and currency.

? The curriculum includes general education courses that enhance professional nursing knowledge and practice.

? The curriculum includes cultural, ethnic and socially diverse concepts and may also include experiences from regional, national or global perspectives.

? The curriculum and instructional processes reflect educational theory, interprofessional collaboration, research and current standards of practice.

? Evaluation methodologies are varied, reflect established professional and practice competencies and measure the achievement of the student learning outcomes.

? The length of time and credit hours required for program completion are congruent with the attainment of identified student learning outcomes and program outcomes and consistent with the policies of the governing organization, state and national standards and best policies.

? Practice learning environments support the achievement of student-learning outcomes and program outcomes.

? Students participate in clinical experiences that are evidence-based and reflect contemporary practice and nationally established patient health and safety goals.

? Written agreements for clinical practice agencies are current, specify expectations for all parties and ensure the protection of students.

? Learning activities, instructional materials and evaluation methods are appropriate for all delivery formats and consistent with the student learning outcomes.

Resources

? Fiscal resources are sustainable, sufficient to ensure the achievement of the student learning outcomes and program outcomes and commensurate with the resources of the governing organization.

? Physical resources are sufficient to ensure the achievement of the nursing education unit outcomes and meet the needs of the faculty, staff and students.

? Learning resources and technology are selected with faculty input and are comprehensive, current and accessible to faculty and students.

? Fiscal, physical, technological and learning resources are sufficient to meet the needs of the faculty and students engaged in alternative methods of delivery.

Other steps in the process of regaining accreditation include a self-study, which will begins this fall and an on-site visit by ACEN officials. The school?s application for candidacy has been approved, something McCallum said ?we?re very proud of.? He said the candidacy process (for ACEN accreditation) will take two years.

?I just want people to know that we continue to have a solid nursing program,? McCallum emphasized. ?There are multiple accreditation programs for nursing and we are most proud of our state accreditation.?