Re: ACEN accreditation & Eastern Florida State College

U.S.A. Florida

Published

Hi there,

I'm applying to Eastern Florida State College-Palm Bay for the Jan '15 program....and recently came to find out that EFSC's nursing program isn't nationally accredited through ACEN (formerly NLNAC). Big bummer. I don't think it'll stop me from applying there and maybe even attending if I get accepted but this is totally baffling to me that they don't have this accreditation. If you pull up a FL Board of Nursing list of associate degree RN programs in Florida you'd be hard pressed to find a school at EFSC's level (i.e. - any FL state college or even Keiser, Everest, etc) who doesn't have this accreditation. I included a link on this below.

I've read and talked to people time and time again about how important this accreditation is for your nursing future - in terms of being able to pursue additional degrees, what employers will look at, reciprocity when trying to seek licensure in other states, etc etc. Even one of my science professors at EFSC told me straight up.."if you plan to move out of state, want to do travel nursing, want to get a BSN at a school that's not UCF, work in a major metro area, etc....best to find an accredited program."

Anyway, I'm posting this not only to get the word out but also to solicit opinions from students, hopeful applicants and EFSC nursing graduates on the accrediation issue. I know it's a solid program and that it's obviously turned out tons of quality graduates who I'm sure are doing great things. I don't plan on sticking around Brevard though and I definitely want to get my BSN/MSN, and really don't want my hands tied or options totally limited because I decided to attend an unaccredited program. :( Thoughts??

http://ww2.doh.state.fl.us/MQANEPC/SearchResults.aspx

That is precisely why I chose not to apply to that program. I was BCC/EFSC student and once I settled on Nursing and found they had only a State BON accreditation that made my choice for me. Even if you want to go into the VA system it says on their application area on their site that you have to come from a NLNAC accredited school. Why don't they have accreditation was my first thought? Then I checked their pass rate on the NCLEX and at the time it was only 88%...the school I am currently accepted into has every high (100% most years) pass rate. Consider your options seriously and decide if you are ever planning to leave Florida, check the hiring practices in different organizitions and see what they are looking for...this is a big deal.

Yep these are all my concerns too. The EFSC Palm Bay program is so perfect for me in my particular circumstances (and being 34 I really don't want to waste any time getting through this process...) , and I can't believe this totally random thing is going to maybe derail that. I've tried to spread the word and generate some conversation about this in my science classes this summer, since it's mostly pre-nursing students. It raises some eyebrows but I get the sense that most people don't see it as a big deal or understand accreditation, and it doesn't seem like it's going to stop anyone from applying to the program. Which then makes me feel like I'm making too MUCH of a big deal about it. And it doesn't help that at the nursing orientation/info session and on their website, EFSC totally papers over the issue and pretends like it doesn't matter and that it's strictly voluntary to have ACEN, case closed. It was everything I could do to not raise my hand at orientation and be like...ok then why are you virtually the only state college in Florida who doesn't have it?? All I know is that if the VA won't take you...it really begs the question, who else won't, especially once you step out of Brevard county or try to get into travel nursing or something?

If you don't mind me asking, where did you get accepted and have you started your program? I'm looking at other schools but it's a little crazy since every school has their own requirements, pre-req's, entrance tests, etc, and many schools outside Brevard give first priority preference to their in-county residents...like Indian River State College. Argh.

I have been acepted to Polk State Nursing Program and start in a week. I am not a Polk County resident. I have a very good GPA and a pretty decent TEAS score as that is what they use. Valencia college accepts all except they have a waiting list but they are ACEN accredited. It may not be a problem if you decide to stay in Fl, but your concerns were the same as mine. I looked elsewhere because I felt better about their pass rate on the NCLEX and being accredited. Many have graduated from EFSC, see if there is a FB page maybe they can tell you how they faired in the job market. Good luck!

Specializes in Critical Care.
:roflmao:

Where can I get this 35 pages review?

Huh? What 35 pages review? I think you posted to a different topic than the one you were looking for!

Oh funny Polk is totally the other school I'm applying to for January admission. Congrats on getting in and getting started! I need to make the drive over and meet with an advisor but it's like 2 hours away argh...I'm still trying to fully understand the point system they have. I know it's TEAS + (5 X overall GPA) + (5 X program courses GPA) + varying points if you have a prior degree. So it sounds like the max points available must be 146 (100pts for TEAS + 40pts max available for the two GPA's and up to 6 points max for prior degree)? Also seems like the TEAS can really make or break your point total! I'm curious about what's considered competitive for points. Mind if I ask what you had?

:roflmao:

. . . . And then? If you have any insights or if you think this accred thing is being blown way out of porportion, I'm all ears (eyes).

TEAS is given more weight than GPA but if you can get above an 80 (the higher the better) and a good GPA you should have a good chance. It is a 4 semester course with first semester being Adult Health 1 and Pharmacology plus 1 day a week at a clinical location. No classes during the summer so it gives you the abaility to take other classes should you need them. The advisors are very helpful and to be honest with you, it was such a hassle at EFSC dealing with the Financial Aid dept..Polk feels like a dream dealing with their financial aid people.

Lots of research available for info on whether accredidation matters under ACEN standards. They aren't required to have that accrediation. They have to have State Board accredidation in order to administer the NCLEX. The Federal Govt won't hire RN's without an accreditated school education...says so right on the VA application; military, federal pirson, VA and other federal institutions are out and some major hospital organizations won't hire. It is not that you can't get a job it's just some places want the ACEN accreditation and for me it meant I needed to be in a school that was accredited by a National organization. For others it won't be an issue, it is simply a matter of choice.

Exactly. In all the networking and reading I've done so far, the answers I get about this are 100% all over the map which tells me that yes it could rear its head in the future or it could just as easily never be an issue at all. It's a gamble, and basically just up to each person to decide whether it's worth the risk and potential headache based on their individual circumstances. I do believe though that even if some doors are closed in the future due to the lack of accreditation thing (like certain BSN/MSN schools and/or certain hospitals), that the majority of opportunities will still be open, especially if you bring a lot to the table as an overall "package." I would also have to think if you go on and complete an accredited BSN degree later that this could do a lot to make this issue a moot point...

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