Dixie State College of Utah’s nursing program recently received a shot in the arm as the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) recommended that DSC’s Practical Nursing (PN) and Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) programs continue with full accreditation.
NLNAC made the determination during its site visit to the DSC campus in February. The site team, consisting of five nurse educator peer evaluators, recommended the continuing accreditation of both programs for eight years, the maximum possible. The site team’s recommendation will be evaluated by an NLNAC peer review committee and the Commission, with official notification of continuing accreditation status to occur in July.
“Accreditation is an ongoing, voluntary, self-regulatory process by which nursing programs are recognized as meeting standards and criteria for educational quality,” said Dr. Carole Grady, DSC Associate Dean of Nursing and Allied Health.
Grady added that DSC’s PN and ADN programs have been accredited by NLNAC since 2002. She also added that Dixie State’s four-year Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing program (BSN) is in the process of applying for candidacy for accreditation, with an anticipated site visit slated to take place in the spring of 2010.
Dr. Donna Dillingham-Evans, DSC Vice President of Academics, added that DSC’s accreditation for BSN programs is most useful for placing students in graduate programs. She noted, however, that Dixie State nursing program graduates have been able to enter their chosen graduate programs without problems. Dillingham-Evans went on to say that graduation from an accredited BSN program generally is not a requirement for advancement into managerial nursing positions.
“Dixie State has three areas of strategic program development and one of those is health care opportunities, including nursing.” Dr. Dillingham-Evans said. “We are extremely proud of the quality faculty and students we have in our nursing programs and are pleased that the NLNAC will most likely make a site visit for our BSN program next spring. They will find we have great programs, great faculty and great students here at Dixie State College.”
DSC’s nursing program began in 1996, while the College’s four-year BSN program started in 2004. Over that time, DSC nursing students have shown an impressive pass rate in state nursing board exams and led the state with the highest RN pass rate from 2001 to 2004. In addition, Grady notes that the program’s LPN pass rates are close to 100 percent.
“Our pass rates show potential employers that Dixie State students are motivated and focused not only in the classroom, but in their practical exercises as well,” Grady said.
DSC’s entire allied health program is housed in the new Russell C. Taylor Health Sciences Center, a 78,000 square foot, three-story facility, located on the River Road campus of Dixie Regional Medical Center, just to the north and east of the hospital, approximately two miles from the DSC campus. The Russell C. Taylor Health Science Center houses 14 combined laboratories, 10 classrooms, a 150-seat lecture hall, 24 dental operatories, three computer labs and numerous offices and conference rooms, along with several student lounges with wireless internet capabilities.
