Betsy M. McDowell, PhD, RN, CNE October 2012 SC Organization of Nurse Leaders 1

To establish the value of accreditation of nursing education programs – for the individual nurse and for the nurse employer To identify the various roles of nursing service leaders in obtaining accreditation of a nursing education program To delineate issues that must be considered by nurses when choosing a nursing education program for their continued formal education 2

Mandatory vs voluntary credentialing:  Individual nurses  Licensure  Certification  Nursing education programs  Approval  Accreditation 3

Types of accreditation:  Institutional  Regional (public & private institutions – Southern Association of Colleges & Schools)  National (private & specialized career schools – Accrediting Council of Independent Colleges & Schools)  Program  NLNAC  CCNE  Specialized (ACNMAC & CANAEP) 4

Nursing Education Accrediting Agencies:  NLNAC – all levels of basic licensure nursing education programs, including PN, ADN, diploma, BSN, MSN, doctoral  CCNE – baccalaureate and higher degree programs, including BSN, RN/BSN, MSN, DNP, plus nurse residency programs 5

Accreditation standards:  Mission & governance  Faculty  Students  Curriculum  Program resources (human & physical)  Program outcomes & ongoing evaluation 6

Accreditation specifics:  NLNAC – candidacy; self study; site visit; initial accreditation of 1 st class & valid for 5 years; reaccreditation every 8 years  CCNE – candidacy; self study; site visit; initial accreditation possible before graduation of 1 st class & valid for 5 years; reaccreditation every 10 years; mid-term reports required 7

Benefits of accreditation: 1. Demonstrates quality of program & graduates 2. Self-evaluation of program leads to improvement 3. Assists with recruiting to program 4. Facilitates transfer of credits & acceptance into graduate schools 5. Required for some positions (Army N Corps) 6. Students eligible for financial assistance 7. Enables program to qualify for grants 8

Nursing advisory board members Consultants during all phases of accreditation process Written feedback/letters of support Host site visitors when in facility & assist in publicizing visit “Clarify/verify/amplify” during on-site visit Members of site visit teams (dual appointments) 9

Student factors:  personal long-term goal(s) for returning to school, then type of program/degree required  learning style  available resources including fiscal & time  lifestyle changes inc. work  degree of family & social support 10

Program factors:  approval and/or accreditation status  location of classes, delivery format, & any residency requirements  curriculum (both nursing & gen ed/cognate requirements ) & transfer of existing credits  length, both minimum & maximum  tuition, including available financial aid  caliber of graduates (NCLEX pass rates if pre- licensure) 11

Questions? Thank you!