College’s School of Nursing Earns CCNE Accreditation

"Earning the CCNE accreditation is exceptionally gratifying," said Dr. Susan M. O'Brien, dean of the School of Nursing. "The distinction validates the quality, integrity and comprehensiveness of our programs and our adherence to the highest standards of nursing education. We congratulate our staff, mentors and students for influencing the positive outcome of this evaluation."

The School of Nursing's online nursing program is one of the largest of its kind in the country, and the school is a national leader in the recruitment and preparation of minority nurse educators in online education. The accreditation process provided a chance for students and graduates of the program to share their experiences, as both nursing students and active practitioners, with CCNE evaluators.

"The School of Nursing offered everything that would make my life bearable," said 2009 graduate Geri Sanfillippo, RN, BSN, a nurse at Capital Health System in Trenton, N.J.

Yekeen Odewale, RN, BC, MSN, said the College provides nurses with the type of program they are looking for."The school emphasizes evidence-based nursing, which is what we all clamor for as learners," said Odewale, a 2004 graduate who works at Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital in Morris Plains, N.J.

Recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education, CCNE is the principal accrediting body for nursing schools and the only national accrediting agency devoted exclusively to evaluating baccalaureate and graduate nursing education programs.
 
The CCNE accreditation includes both the bachelor's and master's degree programs offered by the School of Nursing. The College's RN-BSN degree program is also accredited by the New Jersey Board of Nursing and has been continuously accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission since 1990. Thomas Edison State College is regionally accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.

About the School of Nursing at Thomas Edison State College
The Nursing Program at Thomas Edison State College was established in 1983 primarily to provide education and career opportunities for RNs in New Jersey who wanted an alternative to campus-based baccalaureate education. The online RN to BSN/MSN program, started in 2002, has more than 1,000 students from across the United States. Of the more than 65 nurse educators utilized by the school, 17 percent are minorities, and 85 percent have doctoral degrees. Graduates of the School of Nursing have served the profession in nursing leadership positions and approximately 35 percent go on to graduate nursing education. The School of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education; the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission and the New Jersey Board of Nursing.

About Thomas Edison State College
Thomas Edison State College provides flexible, high-quality, collegiate learning opportunities for self-directed adults. One of New Jersey's 12 senior public institutions of higher education, the College offers associate, bachelor's and master's degrees in more than 100 areas of study. Students earn degrees through a wide variety of rigorous and high-quality academic methods that can be customized to meet their individual needs. Identified by Forbes magazine as one of the top 20 colleges and universities in the nation in the use of technology to create learning opportunities for adults, Thomas Edison State College is a national leader in the assessment of adult learning and a pioneer in the use of educational technologies. The College is home to The John S. Watson Institute for Public Policy. The New Jersey State Library is an affiliate of Thomas Edison State College. Further information about admission to the College may be obtained by calling (888) 442-8372, via e-mail at info@tesc.edu or by visiting the College Web site at www.tesc.edu.