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The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) has awarded Liberty University’s School of Nursing full accreditation for its Doctor of Nursing Program (DNP). The accreditation will be for five years which is the maximum term allowed.
The DNP program will develop nursing professionals into leaders of innovation in the health care system with classes taught based on the university’s Christian philosophies. Pathways to the DNP program include a Post-Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) to DNP pathway and a Post-Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) to DNP/FNP pathway. The MSN pathway is an online cohort format while the BSN pathway is offered in a residential format.
Dr. Sharon Kopis, chair of Liberty’s DNP program, said this accreditation demonstrates a “hallmark of excellence” for Liberty’s nursing program. She explained that the national accreditation standards are very high. Key factors that were looked at included an evaluation of the faculty, curriculum, student outcomes, available resources and processes and structures.
”Our faculty is academically and clinically prepared, and we have amazing resources within the school itself,” she said. One such resource is the Simulation Center, which is an integral part of its School of Nursing program. The center offers simulation care in pediatrics, intensive care and neonatal care. It also has a 13-bed medical surgical unit and 18 exam rooms.
The program is 41 credit hours and students are required to have a current, unencumbered RN license in the United States as well as a letter of recommendation. Additional entry requirements are available on the Liberty website.
Liberty University is widely acclaimed for its high academic standards and high rate of student success. In 2015, its BSN graduates had a 98-percent success rate in passing the National Council Licensure Examination the first time.
Liberty University was founded in 1971 and is located in Lynchburg, Virginia. The Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools granted the university with full accreditation in 1980.