The Bevill State Community College Associate Degree and Practical Nursing programs have both received reaccreditation from the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission.

“I am extremely pleased that we have been granted reaccreditation by NLNAC,” BSCC President Dr. Anne McNutt said. “The nursing program at Bevill State is one of the absolute best in the entire nation. We produce outstanding graduates, and our faculty does an excellent job in preparing our students to enter the workforce.”

Accreditation by NLNAC indicates a stamp of quality to employers as graduates enter the workforce. Graduation from an NLNAC-accredited program is also highly desired of students who transfer to a four-year university to pursue higher degrees in healthcare.

“Bevill State has a long history of outstanding nursing education,” Dean of Health Sciences Penne Mott said. “The Practical Nursing program dates back to 1966, and it is difficult to walk the halls of any hospital in the area without meeting a Registered Nurse who graduated from Bevill State.  Receiving reaccreditation is validation for our faculty and our students of the quality of our nursing programs.”

The Bevill State Associate Degree Nursing program was recognized earlier this year as one the top 50 producers of nursing graduates in the nation by Community College Week magazine. Bevill State ranked 44th in 2007-08 with 194 graduates, a statistic made even more impressive considering most of the community colleges ahead of BSCC are large community colleges in suburban or urban areas of the United States.

Approximately 480 students are enrolled in the ADN program in an average semester. In addition, the Practical Nursing program serves approximately 150 students each year.

Bevill State’s nursing reaccreditation will extend through 2017 for both programs pending the approval of a follow-up report by the College in 24 months for Associate Degree Nursing and 18 months for Practical Nursing.

NLNAC is a national accrediting organization that provides an independent review of nursing education and practice at colleges and universities in order to assure quality instruction and preparation. A group of external peer reviewers visited the Bevill State campus in February for an on-site visit and that was followed up by an off-site review by the NLNAC Board of Commissioners prior to the approval of reaccreditation.

“It has been a rigorous and time-consuming process,” said faculty member and administrator Pat Reeves, who led BSCC’s reaccreditation efforts. “But we know how important it is for our students, and it has been worth every minute to ensure they graduate from a NLNAC-accredited program.”

For more information on enrolling in Associate Degree Nursing, Practical Nursing, or other health science programs at Bevill State, call 1-800-648-3271 ext. 5877.