schools losing accreditation or being placed on probation

[anonymousstudent]

I have heard of an alarming number of community colleges and proprietary schools in my area being placed on probation and then eventually losing their accreditation. I was talking to a friend in another state and she said that the big CC in her area just lost it's accreditation. In the article she read about it in the paper, the reporter had interviewed some high ups at local hospitals and they said that they had recently stopped hiring graduates from these institutions and would no longer hire them. That sucks! They said the nurses these schools turned out, even though they had PASSED THE NCLEX AND WERE RN'S couldn't provide adequate patient care!

Does anybody know how this works? I feel very challenged in my program (CC), and we have excellent NCLEX pass rates, but how would I know if I was at a school that may be placed on probation or lose it's accreditation?

[Moogie]

This is a long read but here's a link to the NLNAC 2008 Standards and Criteria for Associate Degree Programs in Nursing.

http://www.nlnac.org/manuals/SC2008_ASSOCIATE.htm

The NLNAC is the organizational body that accredits ADN, Diploma, and LPN/LVN programs. It accredits some BSN and graduate programs but usually those programs are accredited by a different body (the CCNE).

You can also go to the site to see the lists of programs that were granted or denied initial or continuing accreditation or granted continuing accreditation with conditions or warnings.

http://www.nlnac.org/Meetings%20&%20Forums/comm_meeting_Jun2010.htm#top

Usually a school has plenty of warning before it is denied accreditation. The most common reason for denial of accreditation is a high first-time NCLEX pass rate, which is one reason students see so many HESI or ATI tests during their programs.

When I was in my ADN program many years ago, there were rumors about a BSN program in the area being in danger of losing its accreditation because the NCLEX first-time pass rates were extremely low. Although the process was lengthy, the program did lose its accreditation in a couple of years and the school eventually shut down completely. Again, rumors had been flying about this school for quite some time before it lost its accreditation. So pay attention to what you hear. Do you hear rumors about your school either at school or in the clinical setting? Have graduates in more normal economic times have any trouble getting jobs? (Right now, don't take the fact that grads of your school might have trouble finding work as a grim sign---it's the economy---but if you hear that a hospital refuses to hire grads because they aren't happy with them, it's a bad sign.)

Finally, ask your advisor or one of your instructors about the accreditation process and where your school stands. I think this is a reasonable question and the school should be forthcoming as to whether or not it is accredited and seems solid.

ETA: if your school has excellent first-time pass rates on NCLEX, chances are that it won't have problems with accreditation.

Hope this helps!

[KrysyRN, BSN]

They said the nurses these schools turned out, even though they had PASSED THE NCLEX AND WERE RN'S couldn't provide adequate patient care!

This reminds me of something one of my nursing school instructors said to our class.. The instructor told us that my school routinely asks the local hospitals how the newly hired grads are doing. In the past, there had been a skill or critical thinking issue (I can't remember which) that the new hires were having trouble with, and the hospital informed the nursing school about it. My school put in extra effort to work with us so that we were really prepared for whatever the skill was. I appreciated that the hospital and school worked together on correcting this. I wonder if this is standard practice with nursing schools and hospitals?

[Moogie]

KrysyRN, yes, it is.

[Sweet_M.A]

We have been hearing some of these things about our cc in IN. Its sad... especially for those of us that have been working hard towards their program and then they add this class and change that making it that much more difficult to finishing pre-reqs. Im just ready to be done already!