By Grambling State University,
In a letter to the School of Nursing at Grambling State University (GSU), the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) notified the program that accreditation has been awarded through December 2026 for the BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) program with zero compliance issues. As the state of Louisiana continues to experience a shortage of nurses and other health care professionals, the vitality of programs like these is crucial to the industry.
“National accreditation is essential for the survival of a nursing program. One of the first questions potential applicants ask is whether your program is accredited, “said School of Nursing Associate Dean Dr. Meg Brown, RN, ACNS-BC. “The accreditation of a program determines whether the nursing graduates will qualify for internships post-graduation or acceptance into advanced nursing programs. With all of that being considered, it was imperative that any graduate from GSU’s BSN program, including the first class, graduate from an accredited nursing program.”
Dr. Brown said the nursing faculty poured themselves into accomplishing this goal while working during weekends, Thanksgiving break, and the end of the Fall 2020 semester to complete the self-study in December 2020 and plan for the virtual visit.
“They were pillars of strength while being supportive of each other in finalizing the required details for completion of each stage of the process,” said Brown. “I am grateful for having this team to go through accreditation with.”
The Louisiana State Board of Nursing (LSBN) requires that Undergraduate and/or graduate nursing education degree program(s) achieve national nursing accreditation within one year of being granted full approval. The BSN program currently has initial approval from LSBN. The BSN program applied for new applicant status with the CCNE in Spring 2020. The program was notified in August 2020 of approval for new applicant status with a virtual site visit in January 2021 with CCNE and LSBN evaluators. During the exit meeting, the University’s Administration and Nursing faculty were informed that there were no compliance issues, and the recommendation would be for the maximum five-year initial accreditation from CCNE.
“The full accreditation of our BSN program is a significant step towards regaining our prominence as a top-tier nursing school,” said GSU President Rick Gallot. “Grambling State is proud to have a program of this caliber as part of our academic portfolio.”
“We are excited about the recent accreditation announcement by CCNE,” said Dr. Connie Walton, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. “The accreditation process involved a comprehensive review of the BSN program including the curriculum, student learning outcomes, faculty supporting the program, and resources. The School of Nursing is to be commended on this achievement. It speaks to the work that they have put in to provide a quality program.”
The twelve-month curriculum format offers programs in pre-nursing, BSN, RN to BSN, and MSN. The School of Nursing has been an important part of Grambling State for more than 30 years and prepared more than 2,000 students to enter the healthcare field.
