State board will allow 21 CCSN nursing students to take exam

Jennifer Knight

Thursday, May 23, 2002 | 9:51 a.m.

Twenty-one Community College of Southern Nevada nursing students will get a chance at a nursing career thanks to a little determination on their part and a new interpretation of the law.

After being denied the chance to take the state's licensing test because CCSN had not yet received accreditation for its one-year practical nursing program, the students will be able to take the test, the Nevada State Board of Nursing ruled Wednesday.

"The board chose not to punish the students for the hesitancy of the school in seeking accreditation," Debra Scott, executive director of Nevada State Board of Nursing, said.

Scott said that a provision required that students graduate from an "approved" program. CCSN was provisionally approved by the board. The law was originally interpreted by the board to mean that the program had to be accredited.

CCSN's full accreditation is pending with a final decision expected by July 22.

The delay happened because an accreditation visit had been pushed back after the program had moved to another campus to accommodate additional students. School officials wanted to be more settled in before the board visited their campuses and opted to wait, Shirlee Snyder, CCSN's nursing program director, said.

In the meantime, the nursing board issued a stern recommendation that if the program is not accredited, the school will have its approval status revoked, Scott said.