Tom Nurre Jr.

Angelo State University has long been known as a leader in nursing education, and that distinction has once again been confirmed by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
Earlier this summer, the AACN’s Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) reported that the ASU Department of Nursing has earned re-accreditation following an extensive process that culminated with a campus site visit last fall by CCNE evaluators.
The CCNE officially re-accredited the ASU Department of Nursing for 10 years with no compliance issues. All three of ASU’s nursing education tracks – baccalaureate, master’s and post-master’s – have been re-accredited individually and collectively.
“The extension to 10 years, from the usual five years, is a mark of excellence,” said Dr. Wrennah Gabbert, chair of the ASU Nursing Department. “This designation of ‘no compliance issues’ means we provided all the data and information required to demonstrate we did the hard work in every detail contained within the CCNE accreditation standards. I am proud of the processes we have put into place that we can continue moving forward into our altered academic environment.”
During the re-accreditation process, CCNE site visitors examine every aspect of an institution’s nursing education programs, including mission and governance, institutional commitment and resources, curriculum and teaching-learning practices, and program effectiveness.
ASU offers the following accredited nursing degree and certificate programs:
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.)
- Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) – Family Nurse Practitioner
- Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) – Nurse Educator
- Post-Master’s Certificate – Family Nurse Practitioner
- Post-Master’s Certificate – Nurse Educator
The B.S.N. degree for undergraduate students is the first step toward a wide variety of nursing careers. The M.S.N.-Family Nurse Practitioner degree is for nurses with a B.S.N. who wish to become advanced family practice nurses. The M.S.N.-Nurse Educator degree is for nurses with a B.S.N. who wish to teach nursing at the college level and/or at healthcare institutions. Both of the M.S.N. and post-master’s certificate programs are offered completely online.
CCNE accredits nursing programs to hold them accountable to the community of interest – the nursing profession, consumers, employers, higher education, students and their families, nurse residents – and to one another by ensuring that they have mission statements, goals and outcomes that are appropriate to prepare individuals to fulfill their expected roles. Accreditation is also intended to foster continuing improvement in nursing programs and, thereby, in professional nursing practice.
“We have attained a level of excellence in the delivery of nursing education that assures our students, community stakeholders and university leadership that our processes and procedures meet and uphold the standards of national nursing accreditation agencies and organizations,” Gabbert said.
ASU’s nursing programs have been accredited by CCNE since 2014, and were previously accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). They also hold full approval status from the Texas Board of Nursing.
The M.S.N. programs are regularly listed among the best in the nation for both quality and affordability by various ranking agencies, and ASU has been named a “Great School” for undergraduate nursing majors by The Princeton Review every year since 2010. The Nursing School Hub college guide has also named ASU one of the nation’s “Top 25 Hispanic-Serving Nursing Schools.”
More information on all of ASU’s nursing degree and certificate programs is available at angelo.edu/nursing.
Tom Nurre Jr. is a news and information specialist in the ASU Office of Communications and Marketing. If you appreciate locally driven journalism, consider a digital subscription to GoSanAngelo.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for news updates. Submit news tips to [email protected].