College of Nursing continues national recognition as Center of Excellence

The College of Nursing has once again earned the honor of Center of Excellence (COE) in Nursing Education, a designation from the National League for Nursing (NLN) that it has held continuously since being one of three inaugural COE schools in 2004. This year, the College is a continuing designee in the category Creating Environments that Advance the Science of Nursing Education and will be formally recognized at the NLN's 2017 Education Summit in San Diego, part of a special honors convocation that precedes the President's Gala Reception on Saturday, September 16.

“We are proud to once again be the recipient of this designation which validates the quality of what the College of Nursing at Villanova University is contributing to nursing and nursing education,” noted M. Louise Fitzpatrick, EdD, RN, FAAN, Connelly Endowed Dean and Professor. The COE designation provides national recognition of the College’s commitment to maintaining and advancing excellence in our own educational programs as well as fostering excellence in nursing education in the region and nationally.

In its application, the College demonstrated a shared vision among faculty utilizing pedagogical research to advance the science of nursing education, using research and evidence based findings in innovative ways for curriculum design and instructional strategies, systematically assessing evaluation methods, contributing to the science of nursing education through dissemination of scholarly work, and engaging students in related projects and education.

"COEs help raise the bar for all nursing programs by role modeling visionary leadership and environments of inclusive excellence that nurture the next generation of a strong and diverse nursing workforce to advance the health of the nation and the global community," remarked NLN president Anne R. Bavier, PhD, RN, FAAN. Added NLN CEO Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN, "The NLN counts on the Centers of Excellence to serve as exemplars of the NLN's core values: caring, integrity, diversity, and excellence. COE faculty bear a responsibility to share their experience, knowledge, and wisdom for the benefit of everyone in nursing education. They are expected to provide guidance and be available as sounding boards to other nursing programs that aim to be named an NLN COE."