WVU Doctor of Nursing Practice program receives maximum 10-year accreditation term

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program at the West Virginia University School of Nursing was awarded 10-year reaccreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), an arm of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

Ten years is the maximum accreditation term that can be awarded. The DNP program will next be up for reaccreditation in 2024.

The WVU School of Nursing’s DNP program was one of the first four DNP programs in the nation to be accredited when CCNE began accrediting in 2008 and is the only DNP program in West Virginia. The program has produced 38 graduates with 25 more students currently enrolled.

“We’re proud of the fact that we’re one of the four first programs in the country with a DNP degree that were accredited,” Alvita Nathaniel, Ph.D., A.P.R.N., associate dean for graduate practice programs at the WVU School of Nursing, said. “The faculty is dedicated to a strong and rigorous program. Our focus is that the students will be really strong practitioners and leaders when they graduate from this program. The faculty really works hard to make sure that’s the case.”

CCNE-accredited programs are evaluated on the quality and effectiveness of their mission and governance, institutional commitment and resources, curriculum and teaching-learning practices, and assessment and achievement of program outcomes. The WVU School of Nursing DNP program met all CCNE accreditation standards with no compliance concerns.

“I was very pleased but not at all surprised to learn WVU’s DNP program has been reaccredited at the maximum level. The depth of study is undoubtedly at the doctoral level, and WVU stands tall,” Michele Selanik, A.P.R.N., F.N.P.-B.C., a current student, said. “I find the classes quite enjoyable and challenging, too. One of the things that I find attractive about the program is that classes actually meet on-line in real time, so it is possible to have meaningful discussions with professors and classmates.”

Selanik has given her entire adult life to nursing. She graduated from Marshall University in 1992 and is now pursuing the terminal degree in her field while working fulltime at FamilyCare in Charleston. She is developing a community-based Hepatitis C treatment program to be used in a Federally Qualified Health Center.

The WVU Doctor of Nursing Practice degree program prepares advanced practice nurses to practice at the highest level of professional nursing. DNP graduates advance the application of nursing knowledge through the translation and implementation of evidence for practice to improve health outcomes for diverse populations.
 
The CCNE is an autonomous accrediting agency contributing to the improvement of the public’s health. Officially recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a national accreditation agency, the CCNE ensures the quality and integrity of baccalaureate, graduate, and residency programs in nursing. The CCNE began accrediting DNP programs in fall of 2008. To date, 125 DNP programs have been accredited by CCNE.

For more information on the Doctor of Nursing Practice program at WVU, visit http://nursing.hsc.wvu.edu/academics/graduate-programs/doctor-of-nursing-practice/.