State vs. NLNAC or CCNE Accreditation

[j450n, BSN, MSN, RN]

I've noticed there are a few nursing programs (particularly at the ADN level) in Washington that aren't NLNAC accredited. However, they are state-accredited and most of them have an agreement with UW Bothell or Tacoma to bridge into the RN-BSN program which is CCNE accredited. Since UW Bothell/Tacoma are CCNE accredited and there is already that agreement between the two schools to get your BSN, would it matter that the ADN part of the education was non-accredited?

The reason I am asking is I don't want it to affect employment chances or even endorsement if I wanted to apply for licensure in other states.

I hope the aforementioned made sense. Any insight would be very much appreciated!

[Perpetual Student]

It doesn't matter for the most part, especially if you subsequently earn a BSN from an accredited school. I'm not sure how it would affect licensure in other states, as the myriad requirements are somewhat confusing. Some employers may prefer graduates from accredited programs. An example that immediately pops into mind is the Army Reserve which requires nurse corps candidates to have graduated from NLNAC-accredited programs or have BSNs. I haven't researched the intricacies of this as I graduated from an NLNAC-accredited school (and am now in a CCNE-accredited BSN program). Accreditation costs money and doesn't add any significant quality to the educational program, though it does imply that the accreditation standards are met. I recommend you consider individual program reputation, cost, and convenience in your school selection process.

I think the most important thing is that you get those two letters (RN) after your signature. Good luck.

[j450n, BSN, MSN, RN]

Thank you very much!