The Duke University School of Nursing (DUSON) Center for Nursing Discovery has received a five-year accreditation by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH) and the Council for Accreditation of Healthcare Simulation Programs in the area of Teaching/Education. DUSON is the only nursing school in North Carolina and one of three nursing schools in the United States to receive this accreditation.

“The process to obtain this accreditation was accomplished by the hard work and dedication of the Center for Nursing Discovery (CND) staff and advisory board,” said Margie Molloy, DNP, RN, CNE, CHSE, assistant professor for DUSON and director of the CND. “Earning this accreditation adds value to DUSON, and it enhances the reputation of our nursing programs. It is also a great way to demonstrate our commitment to meeting established standards of excellence.”

As the School continues its journey to create and maintain an engaging student-centered learning environment, it also works to prepare nursing leaders who will shape the future of health care. Providing an interactive student-centered environment that is safe and supportive – the CND – is one way of doing this. The state-of-the-art simulation center provides a variety of avenues of instructional methodologies to support the School’s mission through excellence in education, clinical practice, leadership and research.

The CND was evaluated by SSH against seven core standards: Mission & Governance, Organization & Management, Facilities, Application & Technology, Evaluation & Improvement, Integrity, Security and Expanding the Field. The Center was commended in all seven areas.

The CND was also commended for six teaching/education standards: Learning Activities, Qualified Educators, Curriculum Design, Learning Environment, Ongoing Curriculum Feedback and Improvement, and Educational Credit. “This acknowledges our leadership in the use of simulation for teaching and learning,” said Michele Kuszajewski, DNP, RN, CHSE, assistant director of the CND.

The CND staff and advisory board will travel to Orlando, Florida, in January 2017 to accept the award. They are also working toward earning additional SSH accreditations in assessment, research and systems integration.

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