Nov. 14, 2023 By Ethan Marshall
The Plaza College School of Nursing in Forest Hills has been awarded formal accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), which is recognized as one of the country’s most rigorous programmatic accreditation programs by the United States Secretary of Education.
Photo courtesy of Plaza College
This accreditation comes after a study conducted by the Healthcare Association of New York found every hospital in New York state reported unmitigable nursing shortages. According to a 2022 analysis published by the Journal Health Affairs, the United States as a whole lost more than 115,000 registered nurses from 2020 to 2021. This marked the largest decline in 40 years.
“The number of openings for registered nurses and many other related healthcare positions in our area is truly concerning, but our graduates are exceptionally equipped and eager to help fill the voids,” Plaza College Director of Career Services Regina Pokidaylo said. “We’re immensely proud of our graduates and the differences they’re already making in the community and workforce.”
The accreditation process is the culmination of years of preparation by CCNE. This preparation included the development of a self-study report and three-day site visits, during which CCNE representatives meet with students, staff and clinical partners to determine the program’s effectiveness at meeting all outlined standards.
“To achieve CCNE accreditation illustrates the remarkable quality of the programs at Plaza College,” Plaza College Chief Nurse Administrator and Dean of Nursing Dr. Abdur “Raheem” Nizar-Moses, PhD/MSN/RN, said. “Our esteemed faculty and I are extremely proud of the level of attention and access to advanced resources that our program provides our students. Coupled with the clinical rotations at our affiliate hospitals and healthcare centers, the nursing education experience at Plaza is top-notch.”
The university’s Center for Healthcare Simulation houses four training laboratories that feature innovative simulation technology. This provides students with the opportunity to practice their skills on medical manikins that mimic emergency room, labor and delivery, elder care and other high-risk, patient-hospital care scenarios.
Plaza Nursing students use the skills they practice at the laboratories to complement their studies with clinical rotations at specialized New York region healthcare hospital systems, which include Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, Catholic Health, Flushing Hospital Medical, NYC Health + Hospitals Corporation, Mount Sinai Health System, NY Presbyterian, St. Mary’s Hospital for Children, Gurwin Jewish Nursing & Rehabilitation Center and Little Neck Care Center.
Each Plaza nursing program cohort is comprised of 40 students, who are enrolled every other semester. Queens Borough President Donovan Richards recognized the ethnically diverse student body, referring to it as “a true representation of the borough, which is one of the most ethnically diverse urban areas in the world,” during the 2021 ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the launch of the program.
Plaza’s first nursing program cohort completed their program of study in April 2023, achieving a 90% graduation rate and National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX) pass rates of 84.62% first-time and 100% overall. Completion of an approved program and passing scores on the NCLEX are required in New York State to become a registered nurse.
The Plaza College School of Nursing was launched in January 2022. It is located on the school’s campus, at 118-33 Queens Blvd. in Forest Hills.
For more information on the program or to inquire about the admissions process for the nursing program, please visit plazacollege.edu.