South Dakota’s two largest universities each received accreditation for a new health care program.
USD’s Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice has full approval from the national accrediting council.
Program director Shauna Rich Jacobson said nurse anesthetists are the sole anesthesia providers in four out of five South Dakota counties. This program will help fill that workforce need.
“Our program offers several strengths: small class sizes, affordability, clinically relevant faculty and invaluable clinical sites and preceptors. This allows for personal attention and quality advising relationships and strong interprofessional clinical relationships that enhance the student experience,” Rich Jacobson said.
Meantime, the nursing simulation center at SDSU received full accreditation from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare.
Director Alyssa Zweifelsaid said SDSU’s nursing simulation program is unique because it has four separate sites: Brookings, Sioux Falls, Aberdeen, and Rapid City.
“Becoming a fully accredited simulation center is a big deal for us and is the result of years of hard work,” Zweifel said. “This demonstrates that we are consistently meeting the standards of best practice for simulation.”