Business, Government Legal News from throughout WVSome Mountain State students spared with accreditation decision

For Mountain State University traditional nursing students Justin O'Dell and his brother Josh, the last few years have been an emotional whirlwind.

The O'Dells have witnessed accreditation problems in their program of study and have seen faculty turnover, including the termination of the university's longtime President and CEO Charles Polk.

But now, the O'Dells can breathe a sigh of relief.

In a recent meeting, the West Virginia Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses announced the revocation of the program's accreditation, taking effect Aug. 31.

This means both students will graduate from an accredited program.

Justin vividly recalled the meeting with the board of examiners and school officials.

"We could tell they already made the decision to pull the accreditation because they were not making eye contact with us," Justin said.  

The O'Dells also recalled the emotional hour and 15 minutes waiting outside the room while board members went into executive session.  

"There were so many emotions involved," Justin said. "We waited so long…everyone was crying. The staff was crying, the vice president was crying. The nursing students held hands and prayed in a circle. We said we had done our part and said God will have to intervene now."

And when the board announced the closure of the program, their hearts dropped. However, spirits quickly were lifted when board members announced the closure would take affect at the end of August.

"It was a big burden relieved—taken off all of us," Justin said. "I still can't believe it. We've been going through this for two years and it's emotionally taxing…It really was a miracle."

Josh said the announcement will better allow him to focus on his study without the heavy burden of worry.  

"It's a lot of closure that I can focus on school now and that I am guaranteed to take the exam," Josh said. "Before now, it's always been like it's all in vain."

Now the O'Dells are looking for jobs. Justin said he was offered two jobs—one as a Raleigh General Hospital nurse extern and another from his clinical coordinator.

Josh meanwhile received an interview at a medical intensive care unit.

"It's an honor because there were 500 applicants and 125 interviews," Josh explained. "About 12 people were interviewing in the last round for that position."

Overall, Justin said he believes the accreditation problems and the ongoing "chaos" have allowed the student body to unite and ultimately become better in their professions. 

"We won't only be nurses because going through these difficulties has made us leaders," he said. "I feel like we are more prepared than some nurses out there because you have students who already know how to thrive in chaos. The health care field is very chaotic and you have to thrive in high stress levels."

However, not every student was spared by the program's accreditation problems. For example, Justin said his friend Mikita Pradhan, an exchange student from Nepal, was one of the students affected.

In a former interview, Pradhan said she was worried about her Visa expiring before finding a university that would accept her credits.

"It affected the whole junior class," Justin said. "The whole junior class withdrew from class the first week of school. They knew there was no hope. They knew if it changed for us then it would be a miracle but there was no way it would extend for that length of time."

Justin said he hopes students in Pradhan's position are able to transfer to another school.

"MSU is still very shaky right now," he said. "I feel like in the future, things are going to change there. The leadership is changing but it's going to take time."

"Students who are going to transfer to go for whatever is in their hearts," he added. "If it was nursing, don't let that stop you because they don't have nursing anymore. Go to another school and pursue your dream. Do what's in your heart and go after your passion."