1. Not all nursing schools or programs have NLNAC or CCNE accreditation, because the requirements for these accreditation standings exceed the minimum requirement for nursing school programs. Therefore, accreditation is voluntary, and schools that seek accreditation must make themselves accreditation-worthy.
There are a number of advantages to holding accreditation. It demonstrates that the school or program is adhering to high standards of excellence, so there is prestige associated with it (Bellack, Gelmon, O'Neil, & Thomsen, 1999, p. 59). It also increases graduates' marketability and their mobility in terms of moving to other schools, and it demonstrates a level of accountability that is meaningful to the consumer public as well as those that fund education (Bellack, Gelmon, O'Neil, & Thomsen, 1999, p. 59). It also holds benefits for peer review and consultation and gives the school leverage for obtaining its fair share of resources such as entitlement to federal funding (Bellack, Gelmon, O'Neil, & Thomsen, 1999, p. 59).
Accreditation also carries disadvantages with it, however. Its biggest drawback is the costs in time, human resources, and money that go with achieving accreditation (Bellack, Gelmon, O'Neil, & Thomsen, 1999, p. 59). There is also the issue of inconsistent interpretations of criteria by visiting teams and review boards (Bellack, Gelmon, O'Neil, & Thomsen, 1999, p. 59). In addition, the requirements for accreditation often duplicate those of other institutional reporting requirements, and the criteria may be rigid and prescriptive (Bellack, Gelmon, O'Neil, & Thomsen, 1999, p. 59). Finally, the accreditation criteria and processes are not always valid or reliable (Bellack, Gelmon, O'Neil, & Thomsen, 1999, p. 59).
2. The differences between NLNAC and CCNE accreditation include the fact that the CCNE's nursing standards are developed from a healthcare perspective, monitoring changes in the ind