NMC Nursing Program receives national accreditation

TRAVERSE CITY — The Nursing Program at Northwestern Michigan College has extra reason to celebrate as the semester draws to a close. NMC has been informed by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) that the Associate Degree in Nursing program (ADN) and the Practical Nursing program (PN) are now nationally accredited.

National accreditation is a major accomplishment for any collegiate nursing program, especially earning it on the first try, as NMC did. Earning national accreditation increases NMC’s opportunities for student scholarships and access to program grants designed to facilitate student success.

Laura Schmidt, NMC Director of Nursing said the process was lengthy, but very worthwhile.

“The department has worked very hard over the past four years to receive this accreditation for our ADN and PN programs,” she said. “Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) is a voluntary accreditation conducted by peer reviewers. It has helped us to strengthen our program through a self-study process. There were three levels of review we were required to demonstrate competence. These included a site visit with four peer visitors in the fall of 2013, an Evaluation Review Panel in January 2014, and the Board of Commissioners Review in March 2014.”

The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) is located at 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, GA 30326, and can be contacted at (404) 975-5000.

ACEN has scheduled NMC’s next evaluation visit for the fall of 2018.

Release date: May 5, 2014

For more information:

Laura Schmidt, Director of Nursing
Northwestern Michigan College
lschmidt@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1245