Recognition highlights nursing programs that empower nurses’ ability to pursue higher levels of education

University of Phoenix College of Nursing is being recognized as the inaugural recipient of the National Education Progression in Nursing (NEPIN) Quality Designation. The designation recognizes nursing programs that effectively enhance, empower, and encourage nurses’ ability to obtain higher levels of education, and the designation is awarded for a period of four years.

Nursing remains an in-demand and highly visible field during the pandemic, with advanced degrees preparing nurses to meet patient needs, take on leadership roles, and advance science.

The University’s College of Nursing accredited programs prepare students for the delivery of quality, compassionate care. As a NEPIN Quality Designee, the College met rigorous criteria by NEPIN that demanded:

• A strategic plan for enhancing, empowering, and encouraging student nurses to achieve higher levels of education criteria with evidence of progression strategies, alliances with healthcare organizations, teaching and learning strategies encouraging higher levels of education, and addressing attrition rates.
• Quality oversight and improvement with evidence in the use of metrics for decision making or analysis of the effectiveness of strategies aimed to enhance, empower, and encourage the student/nurse to achieve a higher level of education at an Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing(ACEN), Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME), Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education(CCNE), Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation(CNEA) or Council on Accreditation (COA) accredited nursing program.
• Outcomes of the strategies to enhance, empower, and encourage the student/nurse to achieve a higher level of education.

“NEPIN was established for the purpose of advancing nurses to higher degrees. Now, more than ever, as we discuss nursing workforce issues across the nation, we must keep a focus on academic progression. Ensuring that nurses have access to higher levels of education and training is essential to filling faculty vacancies, succession planning, and self-actualization for our nurses,” states Tina Lear, NEPIN Executive Director. “University of Phoenix College of Nursing has demonstrated their commitment to this purpose by earning this designation.”

NEPIN is a collaborative whose work broadens and builds on the previous work of the Academic Progression in Nursing (APIN) initiative, a grant-funded effort of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) that concluded in June 2017. Raelene Brooks, Ph.D., RN, dean of College of Nursing, is a member of the NEPIN Special Interest Groups. The NEPIN Quality Designation is determined by the NEPIN Leadership Alliance.

“Our College of Nursing leadership and faculty are focused on enhancing, empowering, and encouraging our students in their nursing career journey,” states Brooks. “The NEPIN Quality Designation recognizes the University’s commitment to producing effective, high-quality nursing program courses of study that prepare our students for a life-long career in nursing with clear pathways to higher degrees.”

The College of Nursing recognizes that flexible and relevant educational programs are essential to prepare students for contemporary nursing practice. Nursing students with the College will encounter teaching and learning strategies that encourage progression as well as option including the availability of:

• Concurrent Enrollment Programs (CEP), which provide nursing students the opportunity to complete coursework towards a baccalaureate nursing degree while enrolled in a community college associate degree nursing program;
• a traditional track of the Registered Nurse (RN) to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN); and
• University’s master’s and doctoral level nursing programs.

The University’s College of Nursing offers students access to faculty that possess an average of 27.5 years of professional experience. Current faculty includes five chief executive officers, two chief nursing officers and two chief operating officers, and 20 Directors of Service. The baccalaureate degree program in nursing and master's degree program in nursing at University of Phoenix are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.

Click here to learn more about University of Phoenix College of Nursing degrees.

About NEPIN

The National Education Progression in Nursing Collaborative (NEPIN) works to ensure that nurses have access to seamless academic progression so that patients have access to highly trained caregivers. With a vision of a diverse nursing workforce that optimizes the health of all Americans, NEPIN is empowering nurses to navigate the future while meeting the demands of today. For more information, visit nepincollaborative.org.

About University of Phoenix

University of Phoenix is continually innovating to help working adults enhance their careers in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, relevant courses, interactive learning, and Career Services for Life® help students more effectively pursue career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives. For more information, visit phoenix.edu.

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The @UOPX College of Nursing is being recognized as the inaugural recipient of the @nepincollab Quality Designation.