Accredidation of an RN-BSN program, how important is it?

[mandy1623]

Hi everyone,

I'm going to be graduating in the spring from an accredited ADN program and am trying to decide which school would be best for going to finish my BSN. I know accredidation is important which is why i made sure the current school i am going to was accredited, but after i have my RN does it really matter if the RN-BSN program i go to is accredited as well?

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Yes, accreditation matters. If something happens and you need to leave unacreeditied BSN program, many posters have stated that their credits earned were not transferable to another program. You never know that 10years down the road, to advance in your career you need a MSN. Many programs will not consider you unless your BSN is from an acreddited institution.

[RNEMT-P]

Yes, the program needs to be accredited. More specifically, it needs to be REGIONALLY accredited. Nationally accredited schools often have the same problem of unaccredited schools in that credits do not always transfer. There are a few nationally accredited schools that I would recommend for certain majors, but nursing is not one of those majors. Also, if you go on to a MSN program, those programs will not always accept a BSN from an unaccredited school, though nationally accredited degrees are typically accepted.

Another thing to be cautious of is if the school's accreditation is on probation. There is a chance that the school will not have it much longer.

[SweettartRN]

Yes, the program needs to be accredited. More specifically, it needs to be REGIONALLY accredited. Nationally accredited schools often have the same problem of unaccredited schools in that credits do not always transfer. There are a few nationally accredited schools that I would recommend for certain majors, but nursing is not one of those majors. Also, if you go on to a MSN program, those programs will not always accept a BSN from an unaccredited school, though nationally accredited degrees are typically accepted.

Another thing to be cautious of is if the school's accreditation is on probation. There is a chance that the school will not have it much longer.

Agreed.

And never trust the school's website. Verify the accreditation yourself. This almost cost me a lot of money.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Accreditation matters greatly!

What if you earn a BSN degree from an unaccredited school and later decide to pursue graduate education (MSN or PhD)? Very few schools will accept credits earned from an unaccredited BSN program.

[mandy1623]

Thank you all for you advice, i never thought about how it would affect transferring. I'll definitely look into the schools more.

[SummitRN, BSN, RN]

This article has more information: https://allnurses.com/pre-nursing-student/types-school-accreditation-795237.html