Eastern Nursing Program Earns Accreditation
(Press Release 03-15-07)
Hank Mooney, Office of Public Information

The Oklahoma Board of Nursing awarded Eastern Oklahoma State College nursing program a full five-year accreditation last week.

Deputy Executive Director of Regulatory Services for OBN, Dr. Gayle McNish, met with Eastern faculty, students and administration on the Wilburton, McAlester and Idabel campuses over a two-day period to evaluate programs and services offered by Eastern.

Eastern Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs, Mary Edith Butler commended the nursing faculty for their preparation and success on the evaluation.

“It is vital that we have the accreditation. We have to have the OBN accreditation to offer the nursing program at all.

“Eastern received rave reviews . . . passed with super marks. We couldn’t have done better.

“The faculty did a great job in preparation for the visit including the extensive self study,” Butler said.

Nursing curriculum, faculty load, student satisfaction and assessment were areas addressed during the evaluation.

Eastern Director of Nursing, Wendy Hubbard, said McNish gave four specific commendations:

1. Eastern does an excellent job training nurses to serve in a very rural area and working to meet the job market needs.
2. The director and faculty are doing an exemplary job working with students.
3. Eastern’s administration is to be commended for its commitment to further this program and assist in such areas as grant procuring.
4. The nursing faculty has used assessment tools and results well, using them to determine program needs and then working to meet those needs and improve curriculum.

McNish added one recommendation to the report during her evaluation: The nursing program should continue to work on freshmen retention. She suggested the possibility of changing the curriculum offering during the freshman year.

She added, however, that the new programs, new faculty and new equipment that will be available next year from the United States Department of Labor’s $1.7 million grant to be awarded over the next three years to expand the nursing program, should also aid retention. Eastern was the only Oklahoma college to receive the Department of Labor, Community-Based Job Training Grant.

Eastern’s nursing program has been accredited by the Oklahoma State Board of Nursing and the National League for Nursing since the program began in 1974.

Throughout the last few years the program has averaged 45 graduates a year in the two-year registered nursing program.

After students complete the course work they have to pass the National Council Licensure Exam before they can practice as a registered nurse. Historically, Eastern students average above the 90 percent pass rate. Oklahoma overall pass rate is near 86 percent of students taking the exam with a national percentage rate of 87 percent.

Eastern’s RN program offers a licensed practical nurse (LPN) to registered nurse transitional program as well.