Henderson State University’s Department of Nursing has received full approval, without any recommendations or revisions, from the Arkansas State Board of Nursing (ASBN) through 2022.
“The program has met the student learning and program outcomes according to the standards set by ASBN and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)” said Dr. Shelly Austin, assistant professor and chair of the nursing department. The CCNE is the program’s national accrediting agency.
“We must comply with many criteria to receive the recommendation for full approval without recommendations or revisions,” she said. “It’s a challenging process, but I am privileged to work with such an excellent team.”
Austin said it is “extremely important” for a student to graduate from a nationally accredited nursing program.
“Employment for nurses depends on it,” Austin said. “There are some graduate nursing schools that will not accept students who didn’t graduate from an accredited program.”
For the second year in a row, Henderson’s graduating nursing class received 100 percent first time pass rates on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) for new nurses.
The NCLEX exam is a standardized exam that each state board of nursing uses to determine whether or not a candidate is prepared for entry-level nursing practice after completing an accredited nursing degree.
Earlier this year, Henderson’s nursing program was ranked as the best in Arkansas by RegisteredNursing.org.