Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s School of Nursing and Health Professions was granted accreditation for nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) in June from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

“This accreditation demonstrates the college’s commitment to using evidence-based criteria when developing high-quality educational activities that promote the professional growth of nurses and other healthcare professionals,” said Dr. Joan Hendrix, associate vice president for the School of Nursing and Health Professions. “It shows that the education and professional development offered to our healthcare faculty and communities is of the very best quality.”

With this accreditation, the School of Nursing and Health Professions joins an influential global community of accredited organizations. The school received accreditation for the development and delivery of high-quality nursing continuing professional development, interprofessional continuing education, and transition to practice programs to help improve care and patient outcomes.

NCPD accreditation from ANCC elevates educational offerings that benefit nurses, and the patients and communities served, by:

• Promoting the highest professional standards to sustain effective strategies that improve professional nursing practice;
• Improving curricula for nurses to provide evidence-based education that strengthen professional development programs;
• Increasing credibility to adhere to evidence-based, global standards that deliver quality, professional education;
• Expanding visibility to be included among other accredited organizations that are listed in a nationwide, searchable directory;
• Increasing demand to offer continuing professional development contact hours that are essential to building professional portfolios and maintaining certification and accreditation from ANCC and other licensing boards and regulatory bodies.

The ANCC Accreditation Model is based on the original Donabedian framework of structure, process, and outcome measures to evaluate quality. The ANCC standards provide organizations with a structured, evidence-based framework to design and implement NCPD activities. The development of quality outcomes ensures that accredited organizations continuously evaluate processes and their impact on the professional development of nurses.

For more information on the ANCC NCPD Accreditation Program, visit www.nursingworld.org/ncpd.