September 13, 2007 –
The Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN) Board of Accreditation has awarded seven-year accreditation status to both Loyalist College and the Brock-Loyalist Collaborative B.Sc.N. Program.
All Nursing Programs in Ontario are required to engage in this process, which involves a self-assessment and an on-site review by external accreditors, to ensure that both the educational institution and the program are meeting the CASN standards of excellence for educating Canada’s nurses at the Baccalaureate level.
Dean of Health and Human Studies, Karen Brooks Cathcart, led the accreditation process on behalf of the College and collaborated with Brock University on the joint submission and plan for the process. She explained that the seven-year announcement is the highest level of accreditation that an institution can achieve, and validates the commitment to excellence in Nursing education both at Loyalist College and among the Nursing Program faculty and staff.
“Accreditation seeks excellence for professional education programs and is recognized as a valid measurement of program quality. The CASN process involves an extremely rigorous analysis of every process and policy related to the Nursing Program and the review team was comprised of professionals from across Canada,” she said. “Granting a seven-year award the very first time a Program engages in an accreditation process is a major accomplishment and an unprecedented decision for an Ontario Collaborative Program offered in partnership with a university that did not previously offer a four-year Nursing Program.”
President Maureen Piercy recognized Dean Brooks Cathcart for her leadership role in achieving this outstanding result. “The Nursing program at Loyalist College has a long history of strength and quality, and this success certainly builds on that tradition. We are delighted to see the excellence of the program acknowledged in such an impressive way by the review team. Congratulations to the program team and faculty and staff across the College who have contributed to this achievement.”
The Brock-Loyalist B.Sc.N. Program admitted its first students in 2001, when the provincial legislation governing entry to practice for Registered Nurse was amended. As of 2005, a four-year baccalaureate nursing degree is required for graduates of Nursing programs to be eligible to write the Provincial Nurse Registration Examinations.
Students may begin their program at either Loyalist College or Brock University and all students attend Brock University for Years 3 and 4 of the program. For more information about Nursing education at Loyalist, click here.
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Media contact: Dianne Spencer, College Advancement & External Relations,
(613) 969-1913, ext. 2235; or Dean Karen Brooks-Cathcart, ext. 2313