10 Consequences Of Attending Unaccredited Nursing Programs
Darby FaubionDarby Faubion RN, BSN, MBA
Darby Faubion is a nurse and allied health instructor with over 20 years of clinical experience. Darby lives in Louisiana and loves exploring the state’s rich culture and history. Darby has a passion for caring for veterans and a special interest in those affected by post-traumatic stress disorder. In her quest to make a difference for veterans, she founded a non-profit called “Operation Battle Buddy.” Read Full Bio »» RN, BSN, MBA
Are you considering going to nursing school but need help determining where to begin? Have you researched schools only to find the differences overwhelming? You may wonder which school is better or what to look for in a nursing school. As a nurse and healthcare educator, accreditation is one of the most important things I encourage you to look for when deciding on a school. When you attend an accredited nursing school, you can feel assured that the education you receive meets stringent quality standards.
Perhaps in your search for the perfect nursing program, you found unaccredited programs and wondered, "What are the consequences of attending an unaccredited nursing program?” In this article, I will discuss the importance of accreditation and share 10 consequences of attending unaccredited nursing programs. When you finish reading, you will have enough information to decide if attending an unaccredited nursing program is worth it to you.
What are the Consequences of Attending Unaccredited Nursing Programs?
(The following are the 10 consequences of attending an unaccredited nursing program.)
CONSEQUENCE #1: Your Education May Not Be Up-to-Par with Industry Standards
United States Department of Education states that accreditation is designed to “assess the quality of academic programs at institutions of higher education, create a culture of continuous improvement of academic quality at colleges and universities, and involve faculty and staff comprehensively in institutional evaluation and planning.”
Although accreditation is a voluntary process, I strongly recommend all prospective nursing students consider attending accredited nursing programs instead of unaccredited ones. The thing that makes accreditation so important in nursing is that accreditation sets a standard for programs. The best way to describe accreditation of nursing programs is to say it is a "quality control measure." When you earn your nursing degree from an accredited nursing program, you know that the program has been evaluated and met high-quality standards, which means you will be prepared for your future role in nursing.
CONSEQUENCE #2: You May Not Be Allowed to Transfer Credits to Another Nursing School
One of the main consequences of attending unaccredited nursing programs is that you may not be able to transfer the credits you earned to a new nursing school or program. If you transfer to another unaccredited school, your chances of transferring credits are higher. However, accredited nursing programs may refuse to accept credits earned from an unaccredited program.
CONSEQUENCE #3: You May Not Be Allowed to Take the Licensure Exam
To legally practice as a registered nurse, you must take and pass the National Council Licensure Exam for RNs (NCLEX-RN). The United States nursing regulator model requires new nurses to be graduates of an approved nursing program. Depending on where you live, you may be required to graduate from an accredited nursing program to be eligible to take the NCLEX-RN. In the
states where nursing programs are required to have national accreditation, failure to graduate from an accredited program could result in not being allowed to take the exam.
CONSEQUENCE #4: You Risk the Chance of Not Receiving Federal Financial Aid
To say that nursing school can be expensive is an understatement. Because of the cost of the programs, most students receive some kind of financial aid. Unfortunately, one of the consequences of attending unaccredited nursing schools is that you may not be able to
receive federal financial aid. The U.S. Board of Education determines which schools meet the criteria for students to receive aid. If receiving financial aid is something you need, I strongly recommend finding an accredited nursing program.
CONSEQUENCE #5: You Cannot Enroll in a Graduate Nursing Program
Admission to graduate nursing programs requires meeting a strict set of admission criteria. Although some admission requirements vary from school to school, one criterion that graduate nursing programs have in common is that you must be a graduate of an accredited nursing program. Therefore, if you earn your associate's or bachelor's degree in nursing from an unaccredited nursing program, it could jeopardize your chances of getting into a graduate nursing program.
CONSEQUENCE #6: You May Have Trouble Finding a Job
Having reviewed candidates for nursing jobs myself and after talking with colleagues in administrative healthcare positions, I can tell you that graduating from an accredited nursing program is crucial when it comes to finding a job. Employers understand that accredited nursing schools have met quality standards for education and, therefore, prefer candidates who have graduated from accredited programs.
In fact, I prefer hiring a registered nurse who is a graduate of an accredited program and whose GPA is on the low end of passing versus a candidate who earned a 4.0 grade point average from an unaccredited nursing program. I, and many other healthcare leaders, feel this way because we know accredited nursing programs have prepared students to meet the demands of healthcare today by providing high-quality education.
CONSEQUENCE #7: You Cannot Take a National Certification Exam
Finding an accredited nursing program is essential if you are considering becoming an advanced practice registered nurse. According to the
APRN Consensus Model, all APRN education programs must be accredited by a national accrediting agency. This means that one of the consequences of attending unaccredited nursing programs, even at the graduate level, is that you cannot sit for national certification.
CONSEQUENCE #8: You May Be Unprepared for the Licensing Exam
Even if your state allows graduates of unaccredited nursing programs to sit for the NCLEX, you may need more preparation to take the exam than graduates of accredited nursing programs. I am not saying that every graduate of an unaccredited nursing school is incapable of passing the NCLEX exam. However, because accrediting agencies hold schools to a higher standard, students who attend accredited nursing programs are generally more prepared for testing.
CONSEQUENCE #9: You May Feel at a Disadvantage Compared to Other Job Candidates
One of my friends is a nursing supervisor in Texas, where national accreditation is currently optional for prelicensure nursing programs. I asked her if she noticed a difference between job candidates who attended accredited nursing schools and those who did not. My friend told me she often meets candidates who earned their degrees from nonaccredited programs who lack the confidence graduates of accredited programs have.
I am unsure whether it is a personal issue of lack of self-confidence or something that has been engrained because so much stress is put on the importance of accreditation. Based on what my friend has shared with me and my experiences, one of the consequences of attending unaccredited nursing programs is that you could feel at a disadvantage when applying for jobs.
CONSEQUENCE #10: You End Up Paying for A Degree that May Be Useless
No one wants to spend money on something they cannot use. Imagine spending tens of thousands of dollars on earning a degree, only to find out you cannot use it. Since you cannot receive federal financial aid to attend an unaccredited nursing program, another of the main consequences of attending unaccredited nursing programs is that you may be required to pay out-of-pocket for your degree. To make matters worse, if your state does not allow you to sit for your licensing exam or if a prospective employer will not hire you, you could find yourself out a lot of money with a degree you cannot use.
My Final Thoughts
If you have been weighing options for nursing schools and trying to decide which one offers the right one for you, it is expected to have many questions. One of the questions many prospective students ask when choosing between accredited and unaccredited nursing programs is, "What are the consequences of attending an unaccredited nursing program?” As a nurse and educator, I understand the value of accredited nursing programs and recommend finding an accredited program where you can earn your degree.
In this article, I shared 10 consequences of attending unaccredited nursing programs for you to consider and to help you decide which program is best for you. With more than 1,500 nursing programs accredited by the
Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), the
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), or both, you can choose a high-quality nursing program to get you on the path to success!
Darby Faubion, RN, BSN, MBA
Darby Faubion is a nurse and Allied Health educator with over twenty years of experience. She has assisted in developing curriculum for nursing programs and has instructed students at both community college and university levels. Because of her love of nursing education, Darby became a test-taking strategist and NCLEX prep coach and assists nursing graduates across the United States who are preparing to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX).