Patricia Cowan, PhD, RN, the dean of the University of Arkansas for Medical Science (UAMS) College of Nursing, was selected as an on-site evaluator for the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), an accrediting agency for baccalaureate, graduate, and residency programs in nursing.
Cowan was officially selected as an evaluator in September of 2021 and completed training in November. She will begin serving as an evaluator in spring of 2022. On-site evaluators travel to different regions of the country to assess nursing programs at institutions in all 50 states.
“Being involved as an on-site reviewer is a profound way to serve the profession by assuring that nursing programs provide quality education to prepare nurses for the current and future health care workforce,” Cowan said.
There are about 150 on-site evaluations in an average year, and Cowan said she expects to participate in about two per year. All evaluators are unpaid volunteers, and there is no time limit for the role.
Typically, teams of three to five evaluators participate in on-site evaluations. A team leader who has participated in multiple site visits will generally coordinate with deans of nursing programs and then will lead the writing of the team report. As a novice CCNE on-site reviewer, Cowan will be part of the on-site evaluation team.
CCNE is the autonomous accrediting arm of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). The commission is officially recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for the accreditation of baccalaureate and graduate nursing education programs in accredited institutions of higher education located or chartered in the U.S. or its territories.