The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education has accredited two of Frostburg State University’s online nursing programs, granting initial accreditation for its new online Master of Science in Nursing program and giving continuing accreditation for the popular Bachelor of Science in Nursing completion program.

“It’s quite an accomplishment – that seal of approval that we have a quality program,” said Dr. Heather Gable, RN-BSN Program coordinator at FSU. “These programs are meeting important healthcare needs. The Institute of Medicine’s Future of Nursing report called for 80 percent of nurses to have at least a bachelor’s degree by 2020, which our BSN supports, and schools of nursing across the country are facing shortages of nursing faculty, which our MSN supports.”

Frostburg’s MSN program is now accredited through 2019. CCNE requires nursing degree programs to function for two full academic semesters before inviting accreditors to campus. The MSN program opened in 2014 and currently enrolls 31 students. It has two tracks, education and administration.

MSN degree holders must graduate from accredited programs in order to sit for certification exams or earn admission to doctoral nursing programs.

CCNE has reaccredited Frostburg’s BSN program for a 10-year term, extending through 2026. CCNE granted initial accreditation in 2011, with just 32 students then enrolled in the program. Enrollment in the program has grown rapidly, with 445 students enrolled in the BSN program through multiple pathways.

The program has created several “associate’s to bachelor’s” pathways through some community colleges in Maryland. Through these pathways, motivated students can pursue their two- and four-year degrees simultaneously, reducing the time to a BSN by two or more semesters.

While the programs are available to students from across the U.S., both the BSN and MSN have particular benefit to rural areas like Western Maryland where higher education opportunities are more limited. In particular, graduates of the BSN program now have a ready pathway to a graduate degree in nursing available. A native of Western Maryland herself, Gable personally understands the importance of these programs for rural nurses.

“When I went for my graduate nursing degree, I drove to Baltimore every single week to get my degree, because that was the only option,” Gable said. “It’s just nice that we’re creating affordable, accessible, quality programs within everybody’s reach, and still meeting the needs that healthcare providers have for nurses with advanced education.”

For more information about FSU’s nursing programs, visit www.frostburg.edu/nursing or email nursing@frostburg.edu.

The baccalaureate degree in nursing and master's degree in nursing at Frostburg State University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.aacn.nche.edu/ccne-accreditation).

Situated in the mountains of Allegany County, Frostburg State University is one of the 12 institutions of the University System of Maryland. FSU is a comprehensive, residential regional university and serves as an educational and cultural center for Western Maryland. For more information, visit www.frostburg.edu or facebook.com/frostburgstateuniversity. Follow FSU on Twitter @frostburgstate.

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