DMC Continuing Education Nursing Professional Development Program Receives Continued Accreditation Through 2026
Article by: Rosa Linda Reynoso
The American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Commission on Accreditation recently awarded “continuing accreditation” to the Del Mar College (DMC) Continuing Education Nursing Professional Development Program through 2026. The College’s program provides the 20-hour professional development, or Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) credits, that the Texas Board of Nursing requires of all nurses to complete every two years to maintain their state licensure.
The ANCC’s award letter recognized the CNE program faculty’s “commitment to lifelong learning.” The next scheduled re-accreditation cycle will begin in July 2025.
We help nurses in our community maintain their licensure by conducting educational activities needed to ensure they meet the requirements by the state. Some of the educational topics we cover are related to aging, human trafficking and ethics.
To learn about available professional development opportunities, Coastal Bend nurses who need the contact hours to maintain their licensure can contact the DMC Continuing Education program at 361-698-2115 or nursingce@delmar.edu.
During the coronavirus pandemic this past year, the College’s program provided 144 contact hours for nurses after transitioning to online instruction. This year, face-to-face instruction resumed with online options still offered to area nurses seeking professional development for continued licensure.
Huddleston noted, “We expect a 50 percent increase this year over 2020, and we have healthcare providers from the community––including pharmacists, physicians and nurses––who contribute to each educational activity by presenting best practices to their peers.”
The ANCC Accreditation Program identifies organizations worldwide that demonstrate excellence in the ability to deliver nursing continuing professional development. The Accreditation Program ensures the integrity of the accreditation process through systematic, evidence-based evaluation of application materials submitted by qualified applicants for Accredited Provider or Accredited Approver status. Accredited organizations use evidence-based ANCC criteria to plan, implement and evaluate the highest quality NCPD activities. As a result, health ministries, nursing organizations, employers and continuing education enterprises rely on ANCC accreditation to call forth advanced nursing practice and improved outcomes.
Del Mar College empowers students to achieve their dreams. We offer quality programs, individual attention, outstanding instruction through faculty with real-world experience and affordable costs to credit and noncredit students in Corpus Christi and the South Texas Coastal Bend area. Nationally recognized while locally focused, we’re ranked in the top two percent of community colleges in the country granting associate degrees to Hispanic students (Community College Week). Del Mar College focuses on offering our students programs that match current or emerging career opportunities. Whether students are interested in the fine arts, sciences, business, occupational or technical areas, students get the education they need for the future they want at Del Mar College.