Considering a non - accredited school

sharpeimom · Aug 15, 2013

I wouldn't do it because it will present problems later on. You won't be able to get a BSN or a MSN later on if you decide you want them.

Many employers want the school you graduated from to have been accredited and won't hire someone whose school wasn't. A social worker here had held the same job for 31 years, had always received excellent reviews, was suddenly terminated. The agency that bought hers out checked and discovered her college hadn't been accredited back then and let her go.

I'm not even sure whether you would be eligible to sit for the NCLEX.

Jenngirl34RN · Aug 15, 2013

Hard to say. It probably depends on your area. In my area the competition for new grad jobs is very high, and most places specifically state they want someone from an accredited school. If there is a higher need for new nurses in your area you would probably have a better chance.

One thing to keep in mind is that most graduate programs will not accept credits from a non-accredited school, so if there is any chance that you would want to get a higher degree in the future you will want to go to an accredited school.

Trust in Jesus, RN · Aug 15, 2013

I live in CA, and after getting a degree in FL I would work a local hospital for a few years. Hopefully that experience would make it easier with jobs in CA. What do you all think?

Sorry, for not clarifying the school is registered with the state of florida and graduated students are eligible for the nclex in any state.

akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P · Aug 15, 2013

Look at it this way: if your units at the school you go to actually are accepted at other colleges and universities, then you're probably OK on that end. Otherwise, you might have a problem getting credit for coursework you've already taken and have to repeat some, or all, of the work. You could go to a school that's accepted by Florida's nursing board and get licensed as a nurse, be awarded a degree by your school and have to repeat all or most of your coursework to get another degree if you decided to pursue a BSN or attend an MSN program.

The school I go to isn't accredited by NLNAC/ACEN. However, it's not a non-accredited institution. It's accredited through WASC and the State of California. All the coursework I take there, with very few exceptions, will be accepted at other institutions, usually automatically. When I graduate, I will be a graduate of an accredited program. Unless the employer requires that I have attended a program that's either NLNAC/ACEN or CCNE accredited, then I'm good to go.

What you have to remember is that California will want to evaluate your educational course if you're educated outside of California. If your program doesn't match what California requires, your path to licensure in California will be much more difficult.

RLtinker, LPN · Aug 15, 2013

Yes you can sit for the Nclex. But basically many hospitals will not hire someone from a non-accreditation school. But I would check with your local hospitals, some are more strick about this then others. I also see that this is a BSN program and they have a master program , so this may not be a issue for you, but many colleges don't accept transfer credits from non-accredited programs. Otherwise everything else about the program looks legit. The tuition is reasonable and they have a decent pass rate.

LoriRNCM, ADN, ASN, RN · Aug 15, 2013

My school is working on accrediation and will be visited by the powers that be on October. From what I was told, there are a couple of area hospitals that won't hire you from a non accredited school, but many more that do. Do your research, see if your school is working on their accreditation. My school has been working hard on this and has 100% NCLEX pass rates for two years.

ambitiousBSN · Aug 15, 2013

My BSN program has initial approval with the Maryland Board of Nursing. I am among the inaugural class for their entry-level BSN; however, the university has an RN-BSN program as well as an MSN program. They're scheduled to have a visit in 2014 which by then we'll be in our second semester.

As others have mentioned, the issue with non-accreditation is that some hospitals will not hire you unless you have graduated from an accredited program.

classicdame, MSN, EdD · Aug 15, 2013

check with the Board of Nursing. If they have approved the school then your license and credentials will stand. Most employers only look for the license, not the school.

Trust in Jesus, RN · Aug 15, 2013

The Florida nursing list at Floridanursing.gov says it is approved.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Aug 15, 2013

I would be VERY CAREFUL about a non accredited school and the CA board of nursing.

CA is notorious for their stringent standards and turn nurses down every day for endorsement and testing.

I would check with the state board of CA and NOT FL about accepting a non accredited school...for FL will have no say in CA denial once you graduate.

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Aug 15, 2013

OK, so you've considered it. Now ... forget it. There is no way you can be sure you will be in FL for the rest of your working life, and the risk that at some time in the future you'll find yourself living in a place that won't license you* will mean a tough go for you there. You might have to complete a certain number of hours in clinical as a student, you might need to take a lot of new coursework, you might even need to retake NCLEX. You really want to risk that? Heck, no.

If you're looking at this program because you're not academically qualified to get into a better one, spend your time, money, and energy now upgrading your preparation for application, rather than doing the major hassles you'll do later if you don't graduate from a real program.

*yes, they can refuse to give you a license even if you passed NCLEX and had a FL license if your program isn't approved by the new state