Colorado Christian University (Lakewood, Colo.), a fully
accredited, private university near Denver, announced today that the Commission
on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) -- officially recognized by the U.S.
secretary of education -- has granted a full five-year national accreditation
for the University's
Bachelor
of Science in Nursing degree (BSN). Colorado Christian University is proud
to be a member of the CCNE accredited schools.
The degree at CCU
offers students the choice between two program options: an
online RN to BSN option designed
for registered nurses who need to complete their bachelor's degree, and then a
BSN pre-licensure option that will be offered statewide beginning January 2011
to educate nursing students who are not already registered nurses. Both options
are designed with the needs of working adults in mind.
The CCNE
accreditation comes at a time when America is stuck with a nationwide shortage
of registered nurses (RN), and it's becoming more noticeable as aging baby
boomers increase demand in health care of all types. Meanwhile, enrollment in
many nursing schools dwindles while yet other institutions can't offer enough
seats or adequate teaching faculty to accommodate students who are seeking to
become baccalaureate-prepared nurses.
Considering the national
nursing deficit, it's been estimated that between 2002 and 2012 Colorado will
rank fifth-highest among states falling short of nurses. Reasons include the
number of aging baby boomers in the state, an older or burnt-out nursing
workforce, insufficient recruits to replace them or fill newly created
positions, and mismatched nurses to meet Colorado's racial and ethnic
diversity. Similar trends in neighboring states have also raised questions
about hiring competition among states for the limited pool of available
nurses.
CCU's five-year accreditation is the longest granted for new
nursing programs by CCNE, an autonomous organization that contributes to the
improvement of public health by ensuring the quality and integrity of
baccalaureate, graduate, and residency programs in nursing. While the BSN
program's RN to BSN option is offered entirely online, the BSN pre-licensure
option will be offered statewide via a combination of online and in-seat
delivery, and will feature clinical experiences at partner sites convenient to
students throughout Colorado.
CCU nursing is headed by Dr. Barbara
White, RN, who is recognized for her extensive international teaching and
nursing-education experience. "National nursing-program accreditation by CCNE
indicates that our BSN degree program is of exceptional quality and is engaged
in effective educational practices," she commented. "Our vision is to educate
the next generation of Christian nurse leaders who will combine both the
scientific and sacred foundations of the profession into highly competent
practice and will view nursing as ministry."
For more information
visit CCU's
Nursing website.