The Organization for Associate Degree Nursing (OADN), as the leading advocate for associate degree nursing (ADN), promotes voluntary specialized accreditation for associate degree nursing programs as a means to enhance educational quality. Accreditation is a peer-reviewed process, based on identified standards and a system of assessment, evaluation, and continuous improvement. Accreditation not only serves the public as a measure of quality for health care employers and academic partners of associate degree programs but is also an assurance of quality educational standards applied to faculty, staff, and students. Numerous state regulatory bodies are requiring nursing programs in their states to become accredited (https://www.ncsbn.org/665.htm).

Nursing program accreditation applies nationally developed and recognized evidence-based standards of quality and value to assess and evaluate the educational process and outcomes. Ongoing review and analysis assist nursing programs in evaluating outcome achievement as well as providing feedback related to ways in which they could improve and excel. There are additional benefits to accreditation, such as:

• Opportunities for the nursing program, faculty, and students to obtain federal and state funding (many funding sources require nursing accreditation)
• Enhanced employment opportunities, as preference is often given to graduates from accredited programs
• Improved program quality through a process of ongoing planning, accountability, and improvement
• Greater opportunities for academic progression for graduates, as some academic institutions and employers limit acceptance to graduates of accredited programs
• NCLEX-RN® pass rates nearly six percentage points higher than non-accredited programs (Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, 2017)

In this era of health care reform, the education of nurses is undergoing significant upheaval and revision; accreditation remains a constant, nationally recognized marker of educational quality and program outcome achievement. Additionally, at a time when academic progression is essential, the lack of a credential from an accredited nursing program may impede the graduate’s ability to move forward. OADN strongly encourages all associate degree nursing programs to obtain or maintain accreditation to demonstrate ongoing quality through the nursing educational program accreditation process.

 

References

Accreditation for Education in Nursing. (June 2017). Outcomes of ACEN-accredited programs continue to exceed non-accredited programs. ACEN Bridges, XI (2). Retrieved from http://www.acenursing.com/bridges/archives/June2017.htm

National Council of State Boards of Nursing. Requirements of national nursing accreditation for prelicensure programs. Retrieved from https://www.ncsbn.org/665.htm

 

Approved by OADN Board of Directors: August 8, 2017
Updated & Approved by OADN Board of Directors: June 27, 2019
Updated & Approved by OADN Board of Directors: March 19,2019

 

Download a PDF of this position statement.