The practical nursing program at West Kentucky Community and Technical College recently received initial accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), college officials announced today.WKCTC’s practical nursing program is the first program offering a diploma to attain this accreditation in Kentucky, said Claudia A. Stoffel, practical nursing program coordinator. WKCTC offers the PN program in Paducah and in Murray.
Practical nurses are integral members of the health care system, prepared to provide nursing care and health promotion activities to individuals across the life span in various health care settings under the direction of the registered nurse, licensed physician, and/or dentist. Classroom instruction is closely correlated with guided clinical practice in affiliating heath care agencies.
WKCTC submitted an application for ACEN accreditation in 2013 and then spent two years preparing for a site visit that involved an extensive self-study. A site visit took place in February 2015. To receive initial accreditation, the program had to be in full compliance with all standards governing its mission/governance, faculty, students, curriculum, resources and outcomes.
Stoffel said accreditation, a voluntary peer-review process, provides recognition that a nursing education program has been evaluated by a qualified, independent group of respected and competent peers. It is a gateway to licensure, certification and eligibility for entitlement programs.