Next ACEN evaluation visit scheduled for fall 2029
The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) formally notified Inver Hills Community College that the ACEN Board of Commissioners granted continuing accreditation to the college’s Nursing A.S. program with the next evaluation visit scheduled for fall 2029.
According to the ACEN: “Deliberations centered on the materials available to the Board from this accreditation review process and the recommendation for accreditation proposed by the peer evaluators on the site visit team and the Evaluation
Review Panel.”
Marsal P. Stoll, EdD, MSN, chief executive officer of ACEN, congratulated the college and the Nursing program for achieving reaccreditation, reporting that the ACEN looks forward to the Nursing program’s continued successes.
“The ACEN commends the flexibility, courage, and resiliency demonstrated by Nursing program faculty and leaders, and their institutional colleagues during the global pandemic. The ACEN would like to offer a note of thanks for maintaining high standards while providing outstanding support to the students and your communities.”
Christopher Metsgar, MBA, serves as Inver Hills dean of allied health and nursing. Dean Metsgar thanked everyone involved in the Nursing program for the hard work required to secure ACEN continued accreditation.
“This reaccreditation shows the dedication and commitment of our faculty, staff, administration, and employers to ensure our students are prepared to enter the workforce,” he said. “The faculty within our Nursing program have continued to adapt and modify their educational delivery methods during the COVID-19 pandemic while ensuring compliance with local, state, and national requirements.”
About the ACEN¹
The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) supports the interests of nursing education, nursing practice, and the public by providing specialized accreditation for all levels of nursing education and transition-to-practice programs. As the leading authority in nursing education accreditation, the goal of the ACEN is to be a supportive partner in strengthening the quality of nursing education and transition-to-practice programs.
Accreditation of a nursing program or transition-to-practice program is a process by which a program is evaluated by a group of its peers (“peer evaluators”) in order to determine its quality. The peer evaluators perform this evaluation by conducting an in-person “site visit,” after which an accreditation decision is made by the ACEN Board of Commissioners. When a nursing program holds ACEN accreditation, it means that ACEN recognizes that a nursing program meets a set of Standards and can be trusted to deliver quality education.
The ACEN is recognized as an accrediting body by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) and by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). ACEN is also one of the largest specialized accrediting agencies, accrediting nursing programs throughout the United States, its territories, and internationally. The ACEN is proud to be the oldest nursing education accreditor, and will continue adding to its history for decades to come by ensuring educational quality through accreditation for nursing programs and transition-to-practice programs everywhere.
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More about the Nursing program at Inver Hills…
Nursing is an exceptionally rewarding career where you can make a real difference in people’s lives. Our graduates exceed the national NCLEX-RN pass rate and go on to enjoy great job security as registered nurses (RNs) in this high-demand field.
Why study Nursing at Inver Hills?
The numbers tell the story.
Our student success is self-evident. Inver Hills nursing graduates are primed for success, achieving nearly 5 percent higher NCLEX-RN pass rates than the national average. More than 90 percent of our graduates find employment as RNs within one year of earning their A.S. degrees.
Be surefooted and confident on your pathway.
Many students enroll at Inver Hills and complete prerequisite courses before applying to the Nursing program, which is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) and approved by the Minnesota Board of Nursing.
Nurses make a genuine difference.
Nurses give medicine a human face. They truly care about their patients. They go above and beyond to make sure their patients feel safe and secure during an often very difficult and frightening time in their lives. Nurses are kindness personified in the healthcare system.
You can enter the field in more than one way.
You can earn a Nursing Assistant certificate by completing one 5-credit course. You’ll get the training you need to enter the healthcare field as a nursing assistant or home health aide, and also be prepared to take the state registry exam for certification. The A.S. in Nursing Traditional Track and A.S. in Nursing Mobility–LPN are 75-credit degrees that prepare you for a fulfilling career as a professional registered nurse.
Nurses are in huge demand.
The ongoing nursing shortage brings job security and great wages to this career path. RNs in the seven-county, Twin Cities metro area earn a median wage approaching $43 an hour. Top earners make nearly $50 an hour. Nurses with advanced degrees make even more: nurse anesthetists in Minnesota earn a median wage topping $100 an hour.
Nursing (Traditional Track) A.S. degree
Nursing Program Philosophy: The core of the Inver Hills Nursing program belief system is to provide a quality student-centered education which promotes life-long learning. Faculty believes in facilitating an intellectual learning environment through the use of evidence based practice, innovative teaching strategies, and role modeling.
Students and faculty advocate for the community; understanding the diverse needs of the people we serve. We believe health is a dynamic process that differentiates individually and collectively. We believe nursing uses integrative knowledge and caring that requires a holistic approach embracing the dignity and strength of each individual.
As a student in the Nursing (Traditional Track) A.S. degree program, you will complete the Nursing Curriculum (35 credits) and the General Education Curriculum (40 credits) for a credit total of 75.
The Nursing program at Inver Hills is approved by the Minnesota Board of Nursing and accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).
Career Opportunities
Nursing is the job of a lifetime.
As a professional nurse, you’ll be able to focus your skill development on a particular specialty. RNs with career specializations expand their job opportunities, work-setting options and scope of patient care.
On top of that, nursing is a very high-wage career with a growth rate consistently well above the statewide average. Minnesota will need more than 43,000 new RNs to meet market demand between 2020–2030.
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Registered Nurses
Provide and coordinate patient care, and educate and support patients and families.
WAGE
Registered nursing is a very high-wage career that pays well above the statewide median wage of $23/hour.
Minnesota
Median: $39.02/hour
High: $46.75/hourSeven-county Twin Cities metro
Median: $42.44/hour
High: $49.38/hourOUTLOOK
In Minnesota, there are 70,820 workers employed in this very large career. This career is currently in very high demand and seeing high growth (growth rate 12.1 percent in U.S.) compared to other careers.
There will be a need for about 43,201 new Registered Nurses to meet market demand between 2020–2030. This includes the demand due to replacement (workers leaving the occupation or retiring) as well as growth.
— Minnesota State CAREERwise Education
Visit Inver Hills on Flickr to view the 2022 Nursing Program ACEN Reaccreditation Celebration photo album.
Visit Inver Hills on Flickr to view the 2022 Inver Hills Nursing Pinning Ceremony photo album.
Learn more about the Nursing program at Inver Hills by contacting:
Nursing Department
AlliedHealth@inverhills.edu
Admissions Team
admissions@inverhills.edu
651-450-3000
College Center
