Accreditation

We nurses sure love our acronyms. RN, BSN, FNP, ANP, PMHNP-BC. You get the drift. These are three that are important with regard to schools.

CCNE: This is the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. It is adminstered by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. It is "an autonomous accrediting agency contributing to the improvement of the public's health. CCNE ensures the quality and integrity of baccalaureate and graduate education programs preparing effective nurses."

NLNAC: This is the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission. It is "nationally recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as the accrediting agency for postsecondary and higher degree nursing programs."

ANCC: This is the American Nurses Credentialing Center. It is a subdivision of the American Nurses Association. They are "the world's largest and most prestigious nurse credentialing organization." They do institution accreditation and individual nurse credentialing.

You will note that each claims to be the premier credentialer of nursing programs. As you can imagine there is of course debate on the point of which is a better one to have certify the school you attend...