Cochise College’s Nursing Program achieved a fully accredited status by the Arizona State Board of Nursing (AZBN).
The program was also nationally accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).
Cochise College gains accreditation to build pathways for nursing students, granting federal funding and state entitlement programs. Graduates from accredited nursing school programs also qualify to attend other accredited schools to pursue advanced studies, including RN-to-BSN and master’s programs.
The nursing faculty and staff planned for several years to ensure that the Nursing Program stayed within ACEN and AZBN standards.
To make sure the Nursing Program was prepared for the accreditation commissions, Polly Gosa, Nursing Director at Cochise College, implemented a Systematic Evaluative Plan (SEP) in 2009, years before the 2016 certification. The plan is updated annually by the nursing faculty members and ensures that compliance of each ACEN standard is achieved with high educational values and standards.
Representatives of the ACEN and the AZBN traveled to Cochise College to determine if the Nursing Program was compliant in February 2016. During their visit, the Nursing Department provided a self-study report, which was based on the criteria needed to pass accreditation standards.
Gosa said, “We were compliant on all of the standards, and that’s an excellent feat!”
Final documentation regarding the accreditation was submitted after the start of the
2016-2017 school year when the college presented the new Downtown Center Nursing
Facility to the Accreditation Commission.
“The Nursing Program has outgrown many of the facilities provided in recent past years, including the Douglas and the Sierra Vista Campus,” said Gosa. “But I love the new facility. Students have enough room to move about and study.”
The Cochise College Nursing Program is committed to offering a quality associate degree education which provides educational resources to promote meaningful nursing careers, constructive citizenship, and lifelong learning to meet the healthcare needs of a diverse population.
You can find out more about nursing accreditation at the Arizona State Board of Nursing Website and the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing Website.