Going to an unaccredited school?

Nurses General Nursing

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I know this might belong in the student section but I would appreciate the opinions of those in the workplace who have gone through applying/hiring cycles. How would having an ADN from an unaccredited school affect my job prospects? The school is still certified by the Ohio state board and their loss of accreditation came from a lack of internal regulation and leadership. I'm really concerned I won't get hired anywhere--I'd much rather start somewhere else if that's the case. The school supposedly got okayed from the local health systems but I'm not sure if that would extend to other cities, states, etc. Thanks in advance... ?

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You might be okay if they were accredited when you started the program. when did they lose the accreditation? Have you checked with the board of nursing for your state?

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

Some hospital systems and many employers will hire RNs who attended unaccredited schools of nursing. When I mention the word unaccredited, I am referring to a nursing program that is not accredited by the NLN or CCNE. Many people fail to realize that graduates of schools that lack accreditation still obtain nursing licensure, because nursing programs only need to be approved to operate by state boards of nursing. Accreditation is something extra and voluntary to ensure that the nursing program's quality goes above and beyond.

The Veterans Administration, Department of Defense, federal prisons, and other government entities will not hire RNs who graduated from unaccredited programs. A small handful of hospital systems out there will not hire RNs who graduated from unaccredited programs. With the LPN license, however, accreditation is not as big of a deal.

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Specializes in Gerontology, nursing education.

You might have a tougher time continuing your education if you graduate from an unaccredited school. You might not be planning to go back right now but in the future you might want to go on for a BSN or MSN and many schools won't consider applicants from unaccredited schools.

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Specializes in NICU, Post-partum.
SusGob711 said:
I know this might belong in the student section but I would appreciate the opinions of those in the workplace who have gone through applying/hiring cycles. How would having an ADN from an unaccredited school affect my job prospects? The school is still certified by the Ohio state board and their loss of accreditation came from a lack of internal regulation and leadership. I'm really concerned I won't get hired anywhere--I'd much rather start somewhere else if that's the case. The school supposedly got okayed from the local health systems but I'm not sure if that would extend to other cities, states, etc. Thanks in advance... ?

Find another school...seriously...school is too expensive to attend anything less than an accredited school.

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, Hospice.

I agree with Moogie. One of the requirements for my bridge program was to be a graduate of an accredited school. So, while you may be able to find a job now, you may not be able to continue your education. I'd look at another school....it's just too expensive to find out later you made a mistake. Good luck to you!

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Specializes in Critical Care, Nsg QA.

Three words of advice: Don't do it.

Always, always, always make sure your program is accredited by the NLN or CCNE.

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Thanks for the imput--actually the other two programs in my area are significantly more expensive so hence, my dilemma. The other program is a BSN program which was just started--I'm a little nervous about its stability since I was SOL when the ADN program lost its accreditation. (I just want to graduate!) You have given me something to think about though. Thanks again :)

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SusGob711 said:
Thanks for the imput--actually the other two programs in my area are significantly more expensive so hence, my dilemma. The other program is a BSN program which was just started--I'm a little nervous about its stability since I was SOL when the ADN program lost its accreditation. (I just want to graduate!) You have given me something to think about though. Thanks again ?

I am in the same situation. However my remedy for this is, while my ADN is NOT accredited, the BSN program at my same school is nationally accredited so I will just continue right after ADN so I will at least have some sort of accreditation and continue from there.

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Specializes in Health Information Management.

Let me guess...Owens Community College?

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Check with your state board of licensing first, in my state only graduates from accredited nursing programs are eligible to take state board testing.

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Leelee2 said:
Check with your state board of licensing first, in my state only graduates from accredited nursing programs are eligible to take state board testing.

You may be confusing state BON approval with voluntary national accreditation. Every state requires that only graduates of approved (by the state BON) programs are eligible for licensure, but I've never heard of a state that requires national NLNAC or CCNE accreditation for licensure. Some state BONs use the word "accreditation" instead of "approval," which further muddies the water. What state are you talking about?

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