Contrast between Regulation and Accreditation - Research Paper Example

Similarities and Differences between Regulation and Accreditation Similarities and Differences between Regulation and Accreditation Introduction Accreditation is an initiative employed by the institutions of higher education aimed at self regulating the institutions. Accreditation is concerned with reviewing the programs being provided by the institutions of higher learning so as to ensure that the academic quality is high. For an institution of higher learning to be accredited, standards of education are first developed and implemented into the organization. After some time, a part of the accrediting team is sent to the institution to review if the organization meets the laid down specifications for accrediting. Accrediting is concerned with the approval of nursing institutions that are competent to offer nursing certificate, degree, and master programs (Eaton, 2003). Regulation is defined as setting rules that must be followed by specific individuals or institution. Regulation is more of checking into an activity or concept that has been there while accreditation deals with the commencement of an activity with this insight, the purpose and scope of accrediting and regulatory body will be delineated. Consequently, similarities and differences between regulation and accreditation will also be outlined (Flook, 2005). Regulatory Body Purpose and Scope Regulation of nurses commenced as an initiative aimed at protecting the nurses as professionals and also the public who were being served by the nurses. This was aimed at ensuring that the nurses met the standards of performance and their malpractice if any did not lead to adverse effects of the health of the patient. Currently, the scope of regulatory bodies in the nursing profession has expanded to not only protect the public but now inculcates the nursing practices and also regulates the higher institutions involved in nursing education. Regulatory bodies are bestowed with the legal responsibility of enforcing the law as pertains to protecting the patient from practices performed by the nurse and also to aid in regulating teaching of nurses. An example of a regulatory body in the nursing profession is the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. This is decentralized to the state which has a board on nursing and is aimed at addressing the five concepts of nursing. This entails the regulation of the nurse as an individual; the nursing profession is also regulated (Estrom, 2001) Accrediting Body Purpose and Scope Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education is one of the accreditation bodies in the medical profession. This accreditation body has a mission of propelling to greater heights the quality of nursing education in the United States. The accrediting body aims at achieving this mission through the improvement of the quality of medical education and the practical experience that a nursing student goes through during the training process. That is the sole purpose of accrediting bodies in nursing; they are aimed at ensuring that a qualified and competence nurse is released into the market (National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, 2002). Accrediting body in the nursing profession especially in the institutions of higher learning is bestowed with the responsibility of establishing the standards for a graduate nurse undergoing training in an institution of higher learning. Moreover, it is within the scope of the accrediting body to approve the curriculum designed by nursing institutions. Subsequently, accreditation is an ongoing process hence it is within the scope of the accrediting bodies to continually assess the programs of nursing education implemented by the relevant institutions of higher learning. In conjunction, the scope of accrediting bodies is bestowed with the responsibility of developing fair, valid, open, effective and ethical evaluation methods that will be implemented to evaluate the accreditation of various nursing institutions of higher learning (National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, 2002). Similarities and Differences between Regulation and Accreditation Though the scope and purpose of accreditation and regulation bodies are different they both are build on professional ethics. Nursing as a profession is bound by ethics that govern the practice of students in institution of higher learning and nurses practicing nursing in hospitals. To begin with, both accreditation and regulation bodies are anchored on the principle ethic of protecting life. They are both aimed at seeing to it that nurses programs adhere to the requirements of producing a competent nurse. This is aimed at ensuring that the graduate nurse will provide quality services to the patient (Safe Practice). Both organizations uphold the principle of saving life which is an ethical principle in the nursing training and profession (Eaton, 2003). Consequently, both accreditation and regulation bodies are aimed at improving the quality of care of the patients. This is achieved through the role played in their diverse capacities to ensure that the care of the patient is not compromised. An accreditation body achieves this by ensuring that a training institution of nursing meets the specific requirements. These requirements ensure that the nurse produced by these institutions is sufficient to practice safely. Consequently, the accreditation bodies accredit hospitals that have the facilities which will provide the best avenue for the student to translate theory into practice. Consequently, regulatory bodies ensure that the set standards of practice are adhered to by the relevant parties. This reduces the prevalence of mistakes and errors in patient care hence increasing the quality of health care among institutions of higher learning, hospitals and the practicing nurses (National Council of States Boards of Nursing, 2006). A core difference between accreditation and regulation is the scope of practice of both initiatives. Accreditation is mainly concerned with organizations since it entails reviewing if nursing institutions of higher learning can produce a competent nurse. Only organizations are accredited and individuals are not accredited. In contrast, regulation applies to both individuals and organizations. Nursing individuals are regulated upon issuance of their practicing licenses by various nursing licensing bodies. This means that licensed nurses can be held responsible for their mal performance independently from the organization they work for. Accreditation is more of an organizational concept as it reviews the curriculum and the training environment for nurses while regulation conform the practicing nurses to the requirement of the nursing profession (Karphol, et al., 2009). Subsequently the role of accreditation is different from the role of regulation. Accreditation serves as a means of approval to carry put a specific training program especially in the institutions of higher learning. In the context of nursing institutions of higher learning, accreditation aims at evaluating if the organization meets the specifications to train a qualified nurse. Prior to accreditation, the accrediting body evaluates the process, the structure and the outcome which is the qualified nurse practicing in the hospital. When the accrediting body is certain that the institution of higher learning has the right resources to teach nursing, it approvals and the institution is made a nursing training institution. However regulation bodies are checkups on already existing institutions of higher learning, hospitals and the practicing nurse. This therefore entails that accreditation precedes regulation and once an institution of higher learning has been accredited, then the regulation body commences the evaluation of the individual or organization to ensure performance is up to expected standards (Karphol, et al. 2009). There exists a difference as pertains to the impact of regulatory bodies and impact of accreditation bodies in health care. Regulatory bodies have a minimal impact in health care since they just ensure that the set standards are being met by the relevant parties. This means that it is just a routine practice and radical changes are implemented in the set standards are not met. However, accreditation bodies are continuous bodies aimed at enhancing the improvement of health care organizations. Focusing on accrediting the process, outcome and processes of the health care organization, it aims at developing strategies that the health care organizations can employ to increase their efficiency and effectiveness. Accreditation aims at propelling a health care organization from one level to another advanced level. Example is rising from accrediting the training of graduate nurse to training of master’s level nurse. Unlike regulatory bodies, accreditation bodies aim at increasing the competence of the health care training institutions and health care organizations (National Council of States Boards of Nursing, 2006). Conclusion It is certain that though diverse in their strategies, both regulatory and accreditation bodies are aimed at improving the quality of health care. References Eaton, J. (2003). Is Accreditation Accountable? The Continuing Conversation between Accreditation and the Federal Government. Council for Higher Education Accreditation, Washington DC. Retrieved on February 7, 2012 from http://www.chea.org/pdf/CHEAmonograph_Oct03.pdf Estrom, S. (2001). The professional nurse and regulation. Journal of Perianesthesia Nursing; 32 (3), 118. Flook, D. (2005). The professional nurse and regulation. Journal of Periansthesia Nursing; 18 (3), 160 Kraphol, G., Manojlovich, M., Redman, R and Zhang, L, (2009). Nursing Specialty Certification and Nursing- Sensitive Patient Outcomes in the Intensive Care Unit. Am J Crit Care; 19 (6): 490-498. Retrieved on February 7, 2012 from http://ajcc.aacnjournals.org/content/19/6/490.full National Council of States Boards of Nursing (2006). Retrieved on February 7, 2012 from https://www.ncsbn.org/index.htm National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, (2002). Retrieved from http://www.nlac.org/home.htm Read More