It is particularly important for a student who chooses the online method of study to have confidence that the qualification they receive will be valid and will give them access to the opportunities which they seek. They do not have the reassurance of being one among a body of students, able to feel the solidity of the institution which they attend, and so the accreditation of their chosen degree is that much more vital.
The accreditation system in the United States is based upon the voluntary participation of nursing schools who submit their programs for evaluation as a way of demonstrating their level of excellence. The primary entity which is authorized by the Department of Education to perform this process of accreditation is the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC). However other accrediting agencies which are relevant to online nursing schools are the Council on Occupational Education, the Distance Education and Training Council, and the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools.
Most accredited online nursing schools advertise their credentials, but it is comforting to know that the accreditation of any school can be verified using the US Department of Education Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs. This database allows searches either from the start-point of the accrediting agency, yielding the institutions which it has evaluated, or from the start-point of the individual institution. Searches on individual institutions will lead to details of the accreditation of the institution itself and of each individual campus, and – especially importantly for students researching online courses – of individual programs which are not tied to a campus. In each case there is a link to details about the accrediting body and the scope of its jurisdiction, including a note, where relevant, that it covers distance learning.
An online accredited nursing degree will have undergone a rigorous three-stage process involving self-evaluation by the program itself, an appraisal by competent and respected peers in the field, and finally a review and decision by the accrediting body. Every so often the program must be re-examined in order to ensure that quality standards are being maintained. If there are aspects which require improvement, measures must be put in place to correct them.
Accreditation examines three main aspects of program quality: the resources invested in it, the processes it follows, and the results it gives rise to. These results are lined up with those which could reasonably be expected, goals are set for the program, and progress towards those goals is monitored over time.
Accredited online nursing programs give the student confidence in the quality of the course of study they have elected to follow, but equally importantly, they assure prospective employers that the education received by an applicant will have fitted them for the work which they would be required to perform. Given that online nursing programs are not limited by factors of geography, there is little justification for a student selecting one that has not been accredited, particularly since it is such a simple matter to check the accreditation of any given institution or program.