In December 2011, echelon^®, a division of Adventist University, received national accreditation as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). The honor was announced after completing the rigorous ten-month application process.

“Only a small percent of all the continuing education providers in the United States have met ANCC’s guidelines for credentialing,” says Lori Polizzi, accreditation manager for echelon. “So it’s something to be proud of, another step closer to our mission of excellence.”

Echelon develops continuing education courses for healthcare professionals in areas such as nursing, radiography, nuclear medicine, and sonography. They also created custom courses upon request for organizations such as GE and Siemens Healthcare.

For years, echelon has held accreditation for it’s continuing nursing education from the Florida Board of Nursing (FBN), but the division found itself limited by the reach FBN accreditation offered. Nurses living out-of-state had to prove echelon’s courses met their local requirements. With national accreditation, however, the “proof” has already been furnished. As a result, echelon can now branch outside of Florida to offer continuing education classes at a wider variety of hospitals and institutions.

“People tell us our programs are great,” says Kim Nguyen, director of echelon, “but in the past, individuals out of state have been reluctant to use them because of the lack of national accreditation. Now we are able to extend our courses to a broader audience.”

More information about course offerings is available at echelon’s website.

By Rainey Park