News Releases

University of Maryland School of Nursing Awarded ANCC's Highest Accreditation Distinction

June 16, 2017

ANCC accreditation is valid for four years.

Baltimore, Md. – The University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) has been awarded Accreditation with Distinction as a Provider of Continuing Nursing Education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Accreditation Program. Accreditation with Distinction is the highest recognition that ANCC awards.

ANCC’s Accreditation Program is a voluntary review process intended to strengthen and sustain the quality and integrity of continuing nursing education (CNE). It identifies organizations worldwide that demonstrate excellence in CNE, providing nurses with the knowledge and skills to help improve care and patient outcomes. Accredited organizations use evidenced-based ANCC criteria to plan, implement, and evaluate CNE activities. Applicants for accreditation must pass a systematic, comprehensive peer review and meet specific standards.

“This award recognizes UMSON’s commitment to excellence and innovation in continuing the education of nurses,” said Patricia Franklin, PhD, RN, assistant professor and director, Professional Education, UMSON. “We adopted a culture of continuous evaluation to ensure that these learning activities are relevant and responsive to the rapidly changing realities of health care.”

The School also received an Exemplary Finding by demonstrating how it measures change in the audience’s knowledge, skills, and/or practice as a result of participating in the educational activity.

“We congratulate Dr. Franklin and her colleagues in professional education on this significant recognition,” said UMSON Dean Jane M. Kirschling, PhD, RN, FAAN. “It underscores the School of Nursing’s commitment to fostering lifelong learning for members of the nursing profession and serves as a reminder of the importance of the application of evidence-based criteria in all aspects of continuing nursing education.”

 A subsidiary of the American Nurses Association, ANCC provides individuals and organizations throughout the nursing profession with the resources they need to achieve practice excellence. ANCC’s internationally renowned credentialing programs certify nurses in specialty practice areas; recognize health care organizations for promoting safe, positive work environments; and accredit providers and approvers of CNE.

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The University of Maryland School of Nursing, founded in 1889, is one of the oldest and largest nursing schools in the nation and is ranked among the top 10 nursing schools in the United States. Enrolling more than 1,800 students in its baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral programs, the School develops leaders who shape the profession of nursing and impact the health care environment.