Accreditation

According to the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), "accreditation is a nongovernmental process conducted by representatives of postsecondary institutions and professional groups. As conducted in the United States, accreditation focuses on the quality of institutions of higher and professional education and on the quality of educational programs within institutions" (Standards of accreditation for post-baccalaureate nurse residency programs, 2008, CCNE). Accreditation is a source of objective evidence from an outside entity that a program meets certain quality and content standards. This is essential for both students and patients. Students make a considerable financial and time investment in their education and need to expect that they can emerge with real skills as well as a diploma upon graduation. They do not have to tools to vet a program before they are accepted. Patients have a right to expect that the nurses who oversee them graduated from high-quality programs. Accreditation serves...
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