There is no doubt that a degree that says you have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing will make you more attractive to medical employers and increase your chances of promotion. Thus, getting a BSN degree is like a natural progression for most of practicing nurses with nursing diplomas only. RN to BSN programs are very popular along with the increasing need for the schools to have accreditations.
Accreditation is a special recognition given by accrediting bodies to entities, establishments and businesses that are maintaining a particular standard in their services and products. In nursing, when a school is accredited, it means it is following established educational standards in teaching. Thus when a nursing school is accredited, it is conforming to or surpassing a level of educational excellence described by the accreditation organizations.
In the US, there are two organizations that award accreditations to nursing schools as well as their RN to BSN programs: the NLNAC and the CCNE. The NLNAC or National League of Nursing Accrediting Commission gives recognition to all kinds of nursing education. The CCNE or Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, on the other hand, watches over the quality of RN-BSN programs to ensure that continuous improvement and growth are achieved and that effective nurses are produced by the programs.
For advanced nursing studies like nurse-anesthetist and nurse-midwife programs, separate accrediting bodies qualified their educational standard. The Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs recognizes high standards of nurse-anesthesia programs. The American College of Nurse-Midwives Division of Accreditation also accredits nurse-midwife programs.
Accreditation is good because it sets a mark for everyone to follow. It encourages healthy competition in that schools will continually endeavor to develop their processes, systems and resources. That is why accreditation will ensure that you are getting your education only from a good source.
In addition, there are other benefits from studying in NLNAC and CCNE accredited nursing schools. Not least of those is having an obvious advantage over those who studied from a non-accredited school whose educational practices are not yet established. Employers almost always favor graduates of accredited schools because the quality of education is assumed to be better.
Furthermore, schools that are accredited provide state entitlement programs funded by the federal government to their students. Such programs are not usually offered to schools without accreditation. Thus, students of accredited nursing schools can take advantage of these social benefits given by the government from time to time.
To find out if the nursing school you’re eyeing is accredited, check out the logo names of NLNAC and CCNE, which should be visibly displayed next to the school’s name. You should also aim to get a nursing school with both accreditations, although either one of the two would do. Accreditations also have a sort of expiration, so you should check the period for which the school is accredited.
Remember that even though you will still likely get a good education from a non-accredited school, your nursing credits might not be acknowledged by higher education should you decide to pursue your study. You will still be qualified to take the NCLEX examination and practice what you’ve learned when you pass the test. However, if you’re studying to be an RN, you won’t be able to attend BSN programs; or if you’re taking up BSN, you won’t be able to take MSN to expand your education.
Indeed, the possible negative consequences of studying in non-accredited nursing schools are unthinkable. So, if you don’t want the years you spent in nursing schools to be wasted, whether or not you’re thinking of pursuing your nursing studies, it’d be wise to study in accredited schools. And if you’re already an RN, get your bachelor degree in schools with accredited RN to BSN programs, as the benefits are undeniably enormous.




