College of Nursing honored for third time as Center of Excellence in Nursing Education

The Villanova University College of Nursing proudly announces its continued designation as a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education by the National League for Nursing (NLN). It received the honor for the third consecutive time at the NLN’s Education Summit 2010 in Las Vegas on October 1st.

“The Center of Excellence designation reflects the quality and national distinction of nursing education at Villanova,” says M. Louise Fitzpatrick, EdD, RN, FAAN, Connelly Endowed Dean and Professor.

The Center of Excellence (COE) recognition identifies schools of exceptional quality and is separate from accreditation. Schools are reviewed in one of three categories of their choice. The College’s designation was related to its commitment to “Creating Environments that Advance the Science of Nursing Education.” The College was among the first three schools to receive the inaugural COE designation in 2004 and received it again in 2007.

In the spirit of its national leadership role in nursing education, the College advances the science of nursing education in numerous ways. It is committed to using and conducting pedagogical research. Students, and nursing education in general, benefit from the College’s dedication to a model of scholarship that emphasizes a robust faculty role and the importance of evidence-based models of teaching and learning. The College embraces its pioneering health promotion course where students become involved participants in community health and encourages student participation in international experiential immersion learning opportunities as part of required courses. The College also has a major initiative integrating the use of scenario-based learning experiences in its state-of-the art clinical simulation labs with related systematic inquiry and research in the use of simulation for teaching and learning.

These are just a few examples, complemented by a strong tradition of mentorship between faculty and students to enhance the learning experience, demonstrating the dedication at Villanova’s College of Nursing to advancing the science of nursing education.