College Of Nursing Again Named Center Of Excellence | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's note: The author of this post, Joy Holster, is a contributor to ECU News Services.

    For the third time, the East Carolina University College of Nursing has been designated a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education by the National League for Nursing.

    Center of Excellence selection is by competitive application reviewed by a panel of leaders in nursing education. ECU was recognized for creating environments that enhance student learning and professional development, one of several criteria used to evaluate candidates. It will carry the distinction from 2015 to 2020.

    "This is a wonderful acknowledgement of our continued college-wide efforts to provide positive learning opportunities for students," said Dr. Sylvia Brown, dean of the College of Nursing. "Through carefully crafted evidence-based nursing curricula, interprofessional collaboration and community engagement, our mission is to prepare the best nurses possible."

    As designees, Center of Excellence schools are celebrated for their outstanding contributions to nursing education. Faculty and administration serve as advisers and sounding boards to other institutions seeking Center Of Excellence status.

    "Their visionary leadership and dedication to creating environments of inclusive excellence nurture the creation of a strong and diverse nursing workforce to advance the health of the nation and the global community," said National League for Nursing CEO Dr. Beverly Malone.

    The ECU College of Nursing was formally awarded its Center of Excellence status during an Oct. 2 ceremony at NLN's Education Summit of nursing leaders, administrators, faculty and health care executives in Las Vegas. Twelve schools received the honor in this cycle, bringing the total number of designees to 41.

    The college was established in 1959, and has an enrollment of 1,200 students in baccalaureate, master's and doctoral nursing programs. It is the largest producer of new nursing graduates in the state and offers the only nurse midwifery plan of study in the state.

    The college is known for innovative online outreach efforts and is perennially ranked among the top 20 online master of science in nursing programs in the country by "U.S. News and World Report."

(Video courtesy of ECU College of Nursing)