Educational outcomes and specialized accreditation

Does the accreditation of a nursing education program make a difference in the performance of its graduates? This question was explored by comparing the performance of all graduates (N = 4114) from all specialized accredited and nonaccredited community college nursing programs in Maryland on licensure examinations to assess the differences on this standardized outcome measure of nursing knowledge. From 1987 to 1992 (the most recent year for which data were available), the results show that the performance by graduates of accredited programs was not typically better than those from nonaccredited programs, and there was a suggestion in 1 year that the reverse may be true. The implications of these findings for assurance of quality in nursing education and further research in outcome assessments are discussed.