Lance Long of American HealthCare, LLC and Paul Clements of Golden Living represented VHCA-VCAL before the Virginia Board of Nursing’s Committee on Accreditation on March 22 in Richmond.  The committee was considering a proposal that would require that all registered nurse (RN) educational programs be accredited by a national organization by 2020.

Mr. Long and Mr. Clements asked that the committee consider how its decision would affect both the RN pipeline for long term care facilities, as well as the ability for RNs from non-accredited programs to seek a BSN in the future.  Representatives from the Virginia Community College System and proprietary institutions acknowledged plans to move towards full accreditation.  They indicated that the cost of accreditation would not affect RN tuition in an appreciable way.

Following the discussion, the Committee on Accreditation approved a recommendation to the Board of Nursing to pursue the accreditation plan beginning in 2020.  The Board will take up that recommendation at its May meeting.  Board Chair Dr. Joyce Hahn expressed her appreciation to Mr. Long and Mr. Clements for their input and continued cooperation to make the process work smoothly in the future.

VHCA-VCAL will continue to keep members updated on this issue.  If you have any questions, please contact Matt Mansell.