National Nursing Accreditation Review

COCC's national nursing accreditation review opens to public comment

In the process of establishing national accreditation approval by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), Central Oregon Community College’s (COCC) associate degree nursing program is notifying the public of the accrediting body’s site visit and announcing methods for input.

The ACEN’s site visit team will hold a community meeting at COCC’s Bend campus (2600 NW College Way) at noon on Wednesday, October 23, in the Health Careers Center, Room 330. Written comments are also welcome, to be submitted directly to: Dr. Marsal Stoll, chief executive officer, Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, 3343 Peachtree Rd. Northeast, Suite 850, Atlanta, GA, 30326; mstoll@acenursing.org. All comments are to be received no later than October 16, 2019.

“Nursing education is experiencing an accreditation shift nationwide,” explained Jane Morrow, chair of the college’s nursing program, “moving into a level of national review. Though we’re not being directed by the Oregon State Board of Nursing to make this move, COCC is striving to be on the leading edge of this new accreditation.” The National Council of State Boards of Nursing has recommended that state boards of nursing require national accreditation for nursing education programs by the year 2020.

The new programmatic accreditation for COCC will expand upon the integrity of the school’s nursing program and open up more employment opportunities for the college’s graduates. COCC’s nursing program launched in 1954 and today graduates approximately 48 registered nurses every year.

For more information, contact Jane Morrow, nursing department chair, at 541-383-7417 or jmorrow1@cocc.edu.