How Important is Accreditation?

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Hi all!

First let me say I am new to this site and absolutely love it! There sure is a lot to learn from everyone out there!

Anyways, my name is Kelly, and I'm 5 weeks away from starting my CNA class at Healthcare College of California, in Stockton, CA. My goal is to next year, begin an LVN program, as the nursing wait-list at Delta College is just ridiculously long.

My question is: How important is accreditation in lvn programs? And where should they be accredited from? I feel like I'm limited in my area, I don't believe Kaplan College's program is accredited through the National League of Nursing Accreditation Commission, and the Healthcare College of CA says they are "approved by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education (BPPVE); Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technician (BVNPT) and the Department of Health Services Licensing and Certification."

What do employers look for? What's important?

Thank you so much for you input, and I look forward to talking to more of you all!!!

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

accreditation is certification by a specialized group and certification is always a voluntary thing. schools will get involved in accreditation for status in the education community. it's a feather in the hat of a school that they can wave around a say, "we have this accreditation." there are specific standards that the school has to meet in order to earn the accreditation. accreditation becomes important if you want to go on in school for a higher degree. schools of academic learning look at the accreditation of the schools you are attempting to transfer credit from. without accreditation the educational credit you earn from one school may not be accepted at another school. what that can mean for you is that you would have to re-take most of your classes in order to get credit for them at another school.

employers don't care about whether you go to an accredited school or not. all nursing school programs have to be approved by their state board of nursing in order to be in operation. any accreditation standards are actually higher than what the state boards of nursing require. all the state and employers care about is that you have a valid license to practice lvn nursing. that you get by passing the nclex-pn. licensure is mandatory and required by all states in order for any nurse to work.

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Just a note here: I have no idea about the other accrediations other than the accreditation by the Board of Nursing in CA. When attending an LVN school in CA, make sure they are accredited by the state board as there are some schools in CA saying they meet the qualifications but they are not approved or accredited. A few in the bay area that advertise they are but aren't. If in the future if you want to endorse your LVN to LPN in another state, most other states will only let you endorse if you graduated from a state board accredited school of LVN/LPN. Before beginning any LVN program in CA, check the Board's website to make sure they are accredited as there are alot of schools in CA who's courses do not give any credit toward your license. Lots of bogus schools popping up in CA.

Regarding the other accredidations (other than the State Board), qualifying for the NCLEX, the only accredidation they worry about is the State Boards.

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its very important i went to a vocational school and asked them if they were accredited and they told me no at the time so went i went to the univerisity they told me if i would of enrolled into the non accredited school some of my credits would have not transfered and that would be a total bummer

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so accreditation is only important if you want to further you education? i am looking at a private program that is licensed by the stste and has initial lpn approval pending since 2007. heres the info:

  • institutionally accredited to offer certificate programs by the accrediting bureau of health education schools (abhes)
  • licensed by the massachusetts department of elementary and secondary education - office of proprietary schools
  • licensed by the massachusetts department of public health
  • initially approved by the massachusetts board of registration in nursing to offer a practical nursing program
  • recognized to offer national certification exams by the american medical technologists (amt) and the american association of medical assistants (aama)
  • approved by the massachusetts board of higher education - office of veterans' education to provide training of veterans and other eligible persons and to award the veterans' affairs educational benefits under title 38 u.s. code section 3676, code of federal regulations 21.4254

so does this look like its ok for lpn or am i better off somewhere else?

thanks!!!

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

so does this look like its ok for lpn? yes. what i highlighted and bolded in red is your state board of nursing approval for this school to operate. without that this lpn school could not open its doors and be in existence. all the rest is just other stuff that are feathers in their cap or state requirements in order to open their doors. the board of nursing approval is the most important in order for students to get licensed after graduation.

  • institutionally accredited to offer certificate programs by the accrediting bureau of health education schools (abhes)
  • licensed by the massachusetts department of elementary and secondary education - office of proprietary schools
  • licensed by the massachusetts department of public health
  • initially approved by the massachusetts board of registration in nursing to offer a practical nursing program
  • recognized to offer national certification exams by the american medical technologists (amt) and the american association of medical assistants (aama)
  • approved by the massachusetts board of higher education - office of veterans' education to provide training of veterans and other eligible persons and to award the veterans' affairs educational benefits under title 38 u.s. code section 3676, code of federal regulations 21.4254

i went to the website of the massachusetts board of registered nursing. here is the online list of approved registered nursing and practical nursing programs. is this school listed on it? if it is, then you are ok.

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Daytonite.........Thanks for your imput. The school IS listed on the MA Board of Registered Nursing - just with a *initial approval* since 2007. I have sent them an email asking when they expect full approval. I want to continue my LPN to RN and from what I have read unless the program has FULL approval the classes wont transfer and I will have to start from scratch (dont have a lot of time to waste since I'm 41). Thanks again for your input!!

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Specializes in Rehabilitation; LTC; Med-Surg.
Hi all!

First let me say I am new to this site and absolutely love it! There sure is a lot to learn from everyone out there!

Anyways, my name is Kelly, and I'm 5 weeks away from starting my CNA class at Healthcare College of California, in Stockton, CA. My goal is to next year, begin an LVN program, as the nursing wait-list at Delta College is just ridiculously long.

My question is: How important is accreditation in lvn programs? And where should they be accredited from? I feel like I'm limited in my area, I don't believe Kaplan College's program is accredited through the National League of Nursing Accreditation Commission, and the Healthcare College of CA says they are "approved by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education (BPPVE); Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technician (BVNPT) and the Department of Health Services Licensing and Certification."

What do employers look for? What's important?

Thank you so much for you input, and I look forward to talking to more of you all!!!

Interesting question. I can't imagine your nursing license being "legit" without completing an accredited program. Check out the California Board of Vocational Nursing website and search for your question there.

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So,the prgram that I'm interested in is State approaved in Virginia but it's not nlnac accredited.I plan on moving to california after I finish the program so would that be possible in this situation.Thanks....

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

I completed an LPN/LVN program in California in 2005. The state of California is home to hundreds of LPN/LVN programs, and not a single one of them has the NLNAC accreditation. Not one. Nada.

Even with the lack of NLN accreditation, I've still been able to find jobs with relative ease. As far as LPN programs are concerned, state approval is more important than any accreditation from the NLNAC.

I have been living in Texas for the past 4 years. The state of Texas has hundreds of LPN/LVN programs, and only 3 of them are listed on the NLN's site as having the NLNAC accreditation. Only 3. Yet, the rest of the LVN graduates from the schools that don't have NLNAC accreditation are finding jobs in Texas.

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Specializes in non-animals.

Delta college switched to a merit based admissions program now for their ADN, LVN, and PT programs. So you can just apply now if you have the grades to compete.

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hi sawyer12....is the school you were interested in the Medical Professional Institute? If it is, did you end up going there? I am currently considering attending there and I had the same questions about accredidation and them being only initially approved by the state board.

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