Accreditation of nursing programs--issues raised by formalising accountability in nursing education

As nurses professionalise, the drive to be seen as accountable intensifies. Formalising accountability has certain dangers which are examined in this paper. The claims for accountability through accreditation processes in three areas--hospital administration, general post secondary institutions and nursing--are considered and questions raised in each. The fact that the move is not unique to nursing, nor is it new, allows for an indepth analysis of the thinking surrounding formalised accountability and for exploration of the issues nurses can debate when initiating such procedures.