Dean Alexander named national nursing program evaluator

Alexander recently completed her training and could be asked to make a program evaluation as early as fall of 2015.

As a program evaluator, Alexander will conduct onsite evaluations of nursing programs by serving on a team with other nurse educators and/or clinicians evaluating the quality and integrity of educational programs in nursing throughout the U.S.

The process of utilizing program evaluators helps ensure the ACEN serves the public interest by assessing and recognizing nursing programs that engage in effective educational practices. The nursing programs at Georgia Highlands are accredited by the ACEN.

Alexander said that she really enjoys visiting other schools. She said it gives her an opportunity to see how other programs implement their nursing education and yields the opportunity to discover new ideas that might be helpful to bring back with her to Georgia Highlands.

“I find this service activity to be interesting and enlightening,” she said.

Before she came to GHC, Alexander was an evaluator for another nursing accrediting agency called the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

GHC Vice President for Academic Affairs Renva Watterson nominated and recommended Alexander for the ACEN position.

“She will be able to offer a wealth of first-hand knowledge and expertise on curricula building, staff development, accreditation standards attainment, program development, student engagement and overall student success,” Watterson said. “She will be an approachable expert who will have encouragement and positive goals attainment as her foremost objectives.”

The ACEN supports the interests of nursing education, nursing practice, and the public by the functions of accreditation. Accreditation is a voluntary, self-regulatory process by which non-governmental associations recognize educational institutions or programs that have been found to meet or exceed standards and criteria for educational quality. ACEN accreditation supports and encourages continuing self-assessment and quality improvement by nursing programs.