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Discussion

How important is NLN accreditation?

The school that I'm on the waiting list for is in danger of losing it's NLN accreditation. How important is that accreditation for the school? How will it affect my future job searches and getting an advanced degree?

Any comments would be appreciated as I am freaking out!

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Don't worry about it. In California the NLN accreditation doesn't mean much. While some California programs have it, most don't: probably because they don't want to pay a lot of money for an accreditation that they really don't need. The only thing that matters is if they're having problems with the BRN.

The BRN has actually disqualified schools with NLN accreditation because the bottom line was: they didn't meet California standards. The BRN, really, is the only thing that matters.

My school isn't NLN accredited and the hospitals are falling all over themselves trying to hire us so ... that should tell you something.

:typing

  • Expert

It is something to consider though for an advanced degree. Since you state that you might be concerned about an advanced degree, it would be good to check with some of your colleges that offer an advanced degree. It is also important that you are able to do your certification exam for your advanced degree. This is something the ANCC can help with. You might also want to consider that what would happen if yoiu had to move out of California. WOuld your education be accepted? Good luck.

  • Expert

TraumaRUs is right. While the local area hospitals may be familiar with the school and trust that its graduates have received a good education, people who are not already familiar a school look to the organizations such as the NLN to assure the quality of the education provided. They may well question what was wrong with the school that caused it to lose its accreditation. What standards of quality was/is the school not meeting? Those are valid questions to ask of any school that can not maintain it accreditation.

I do know of some graduate schools that hesitate to accept students from non-accredited schools ... not favoring them in the selection process and/or accepting them only if certain conditions are met, etc. My hospital also hesitates to hire new graduates from non-accredited schools and/or schools we know to be in danger of losing accreditation. We'll hire them if they make a really good impression on us, but we look at those applicants with a little skepticism. There's an general question of "Why didn't they go to a school that consistently meets the quality standards?" ... and ... "Did their school have really low standards?"

llg

TraumaRUs is right. While the local area hospitals may be familiar with the school and trust that its graduates have received a good education, people who are not already familiar a school look to the organizations such as the NLN to assure the quality of the education provided. They may well question what was wrong with the school that caused it to lose its accreditation. What standards of quality was/is the school not meeting? Those are valid questions to ask of any school that can not maintain it accreditation.

In California, 60-70 percent of the nursing programs aren't NLN accredited. I seriously doubt that it has anything to do with the quality of education suffering. Maybe they aren't NLN accredited because it really doesn't matter. IMHO, the California BRN does a better job of ensuring quality education than anyone.

Maybe all of these schools didn't "lose" accreditation. Maybe they just don't want to spend money on accreditation that they don't need. They probably want to spend money on more important things like meeting BRN requirements and increasing the number of students in their programs so they can eliminate two year waiting lists.

:typing

  • Expert

While that is a good and valid thought, a prospective student must consider that someone outside of California might not be of the same mindset. The NLN is a national accreditation so that one set of standards in California means the same thing in IL or TX or any other state.

Also - again, I do bring up the certification test. In order to take some accreditation tests after you receive a grad degree, it must be from an accredited school.

In the end, it is the student's responsibility to ensure they meet the requirements needed for their particular certification.

In California, 60-70 percent of the nursing programs aren't NLN accredited.

oooh! where'd you get this statistic? does it take into account the schools that are CCNE accredited?

i'm also on the waiting list at the school that sdmommie is asking about, so if most of the CA schools aren't nationally accredited, then that's really encouraging.

oooh! where'd you get this statistic? does it take into account the schools that are CCNE accredited?

There are over a hundred associates and bachelor's BRN approved nursing programs in California.

California Board of Registered Nursing - Approved RN Programs

Less than 35 percent are NLN accredited.

http://www.nlnac.org/Forms/directorySearch.asp

When you add CCNE accreditations that bumps the numbers up to a little more than half.

CCNE Accredited Nursing Degree Programs

So, a big chunk of the nursing programs in the state don't have any of these accreditations. Like I said, it really doesn't matter ... only the BRN matters.

:typing

  • Expert

Lizz - I politely disagree with this idea that only the BRN matters. If one pursues an undergrad degree in California from a non-accredited institution, then wants to transfer to another institution outside of California, it may indeed matter very much.

However, that said; in the end every student is responsible to ensure they are in an accredited program if there is even the slightest chance they might move.

Ok ... I'll acknowledge that it might affect getting your chances of getting an advanced degree with some programs.

But it definitely won't affect your chances of employment in California. And I seriously doubt it would affect your chances of being employed in other states either.

There are people in my graduating class who are moving to other states. They have had no trouble setting up multiple interviews. School accreditation, or lack thereof, hasn't even come up.

:typing

Again, from what ive researched here in San Diego, moving up to a BSN program from one of the universities will NOT be a problem if you didn't graduate with the NLN.

My hospital used to have NLN accreditation as a requirement. Now we just required that RN's be a graduate of an accreditated program. And, we do background checks on education degrees.

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