All nursing programs at West Texas A&M University have received accreditation for the next 10 years.
The accreditation is with the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), an autonomous agency officially recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a national accrediting agency for nursing education.
All nursing programs, at the baccalaureate, master's, and post-master's levels, are fully accredited through 2029.
The process of receiving accreditation involves a self-study followed by a three-day site visit from CCNE. Representatives from CCNE listed WT in April 2019, interviewing students, faculty, community partners, and administrators. The agency reviews accreditation documents and makes a recommendation to the CCNE Board of Commissioners for final approval.
Nursing education programs must maintain accreditation with a national nursing accreditation agency for its graduates to take licensing examinations.
"We achieved the highest level of accreditation with no stipulations," said Dr. Helen Reyes, head of the Department of Nursing in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences.
WT first received accreditation with CCNE in 1990 have received reaccreditation twice more.
WT nursing programs also have a 97 percent pass rate for students taking their licensing examinations (the National Council for Licensure Education, or NCLEX) for the first time. The Texas Board of Nursing publishes pass rates. WT's pass rate is a higher percentage than several other Texas institutions, including Baylor University, Texas Christian University, the University of Texas at Austin, and others.
"We have maintained these pass rates for several years now, and I believe that it is due in part to the dedication of our faculty, staff, and students to ensure that we are educating nurses at the highest level of quality," Reyes said.
To learn more about WT's nursing programs, contact Reyes at 806-651-2631 or hreyes@wtamu.edu.
-West Texas A&M University
