LAURINBURG — The Bachelor of Science Nursing (BSN) program at St. Andrew’s University recently received some positive news.
The pre-licensure program, which just graduated its first class of four, received full approval status from the North Carolina Board of Nursing (NCBON).
“You must apply to NCBON and get initial approval when you begin your program,” explained Dr. Dorothy Miller, the Health Sciences Program chair at SAU. “Most schools get that. Then, NCBON returns and does another site visit about a month before your first class graduates. You either get full approval, probationary status, or they revoke approval entirely.”
The approval is good for five years and means that NCBON found no compliance issues with the program.
“We may be the new kids on the block, but this means our program is high quality,” Miller said. “We really want to get the word out because we’d like to increase our footprint. Most nursing programs have a waiting list, but we don’t because we’re new. If students are qualified, they can start immediately.”
Program approval also has positive implications for the Scotland County region. More nursing students can be served, and quality, skilled nurses can be created more quickly. People who go to SAU may be more likely to stay in this area and work here too. Miller hopes the program can help fill in some of the gaps in rural healthcare in our area.
The next step for the nursing program is accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). While the commission has told Miller they found no compliance problems, accreditation status will not be confirmed until August. Once this occurs, SAU will be a fully accredited nursing school.