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University Accreditation
As part of the University of Washington, UW Tacoma shares accreditation by the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges and Universities.
https://www.tacoma.uw.edu/home/accreditation
Please read the University of Washington Accreditation Status and History for additional information.
Nursing Accreditation
The baccalaureate degree program (BSN) and master's degree program (MN) in nursing at University of Washington Tacoma are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791 (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).
Mission
The School of Nursing & Healthcare Leadership shares the University of Washington Tacoma's mission to provide undergraduate and graduate education for the diverse citizens of the South Puget Sound region. The School supports the interdisciplinary mission of the campus through teaching and scholarly inquiry. Within the overall mission of the campus, it focuses on the discovery and dissemination of knowledge that promotes health within an ethic of social justice. The curriculum emphasizes and fosters the integration of teaching, inquiry and service through a community of learners. Partnerships with the community assist the School in providing learning environments in which learners build upon their skills and knowledge to strengthen their understanding of local, national and global health issues.
The Nursing & Healthcare Leadership faculty and staff strive to:
School Goal I: Provide innovative, high quality and accessible academic programs.
School Goal II: Promote outstanding faculty scholarship.
School Goal III: Extend faculty expertise and interest through service to communities and professional organizations.
School Goal IV: Promote partnerships with healthcare agencies and communities of the South Puget Sound region.
School Goal V: Maintain a quality work environment by balancing teaching, service, and scholarship.
School Goal VI: Build educational offerings that meet professionals' and regional healthcare communities' needs.
School Goal VII: Support interdisciplinary education.
School Goal VIII: Promote and support diversity within its student population and faculty members.
UWT Strategic Goal I: Grow in an intentional manner consistent with University mission, values and vision.
UWT Strategic Goal II: Provide access to educational and professional opportunities for students, faculty, staff and community members.
UWT Strategic Goal III: Preparing students to participate in a diverse and increasingly complex world.
UWT Strategic Goal IV: Cultivate a University-wide culture of transparency, collaboration, and cooperation for a growing and multifaceted campus.
The School of Nursing and Healthcare Leadership offers two distinct undergraduate majors, an undergraduate minor and a professional graduate degree. The undergraduate degrees include a transfer degree, which takes a registered nurse, licensed in Washington State, to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN-BSN) degree, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Healthcare Leadership. The undergraduate minor, open to all majors, is in Health and Society. The Master of Nursing degree offers professional graduate study with two different curriculum options. An ADN-BSN-MN accelerated study option is also available.
The School of Nursing and Healthcare Leadership has strong ties to the South Puget Sound community. The students complete fieldwork and practicum placements in the South Puget Sound region and the faculty conduct collaborative research with partners in our community. The Nursing and Healthcare Leadership alumni are also actively involved in the healthcare field, in this region and nationally, either professionally or through volunteer opportunities.
Tacoma's RN-to-BSN program was developed by School of Nursing faculty of the University of Washington Seattle and implemented by the founding faculty of UW Tacoma Nursing. This program was initiated to support a specific group of learners, experienced registered nurses (RNs), returning to the academic setting for a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).
In June of 1992, sixty-six students began course work that would lead to a BSN. The first graduate completed course work in March 1993 and celebrated commencement that June. Alumni of the University of Washington Tacoma BSN program now total over 1,500.
Another milestone for UW Tacoma Nursing was the beginning of the Master of Nursing (MN) degree in September 1996. The MN program focused on advanced nursing practice with Communities, Populations and Health. Twenty-six students began the part-time sequence in September 1996. In June 1998, the first class celebrated commencement. In 1999, the Master of Nursing Program began offering courses with an emphasis in Healthcare Leadership and Management. In 2002, the Nurse Educator option was added. More than 450 students have earned MN degrees since 1996.
Other program highlights include establishing an accelerated ADN-BSN-MN track in 2004; offering BSN courses off-site at Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia in 2005, 2008, and 2011; and creating a dual enrollment program for the BSN program with Pierce College in 2007, which allows ADN students to begin their BSN studies while they are completing their ADN program. This option has been expanded to other community colleges in the region.
In recent years, a minor in Health and Society was created for non-RN undergraduates at UW Tacoma. Autumn 2009 saw the admission of the first students to the Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Healthcare Leadership for non-RNs. In 2013, the Nursing & Healthcare Leadership and Education programs jointly launched a new practice doctorate degree, the Doctor of Education (EdD) in Educational Leadership. In 2019, Nursing & Healthcare Leadership was officially designated as a school at UW Tacoma.
The School of Nursing & Healthcare Leadership is exceptionally proud of each students' successes and for the countless contributions they make our region and beyond.
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master of Nursing degrees are offered on all three campuses of the University of Washington - Seattle, Bothell and Tacoma - and fulfill the mission and goals of the University, the School, and the particular campus. The baccalaureate degree program (BSN) and master's degree program (MN) in nursing at University of Washington Tacoma are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791 (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).
