What is the difference between an “approved” and an “accredited” pre-licensure nursing education program in Florida?


An “approved” nursing education program is a program for the prelicensure education of professional or practical nurses that is conducted in Florida at an educational institution that is approved and regulated under s. 464.019, Florida Statutes. Approved RN nursing education programs are required to obtain accreditation within five years after enrolling the program’s first students, pursuant to S. 464.019(11), Florida Statute.

An “accredited” nursing education program, as defined by s. 464.003, Florida Statutes, is a program for the prelicensure education of professional or practical nurses that is conducted in the United States at an educational institution, whether in Florida, another state, or the District of Columbia, and that is accredited by a specialized nursing accrediting agency that is nationally recognized by the United States Secretary of Education to accredit nursing education programs Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)) or National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (NLN CNEA).

http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0400-0499/0464/Sections/0464.019.html