Nursing Educational Programs & ACEN Accreditation Standards, Process and Criteria
ACEN Standards and Criteria in Nursing Education, ACEN Accreditation Process in Nursing Education.
ACEN Standards and Criteria in Nursing Education
There are six ACEN accreditation standards and related criteria for each standard (Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, 2013). ACEN standards and criteria are published for every type of program accredited by ACEN, including the clinical doctorate, master’s and post-master’s certificate, baccalaureate, associate, diploma, and practical.
The accreditation standards address mission, administrative capacity, faculty and staff, students, curriculum, resources, and outcomes. An Accreditation Manual Supplement for International Programs is also available (Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, 2013). There is an ongoing assessment of the adequacy of these standards and criteria with a full review conducted every five years.
ACEN requires programs to be in compliance with all accreditation standards to receive initial accreditation and in substantial compliance with standards to receive continued accreditation. Nursing programs are expected to provide a summary of program strengths, areas needing development, and an action plan based on the standards and criteria.
ACEN offers self-study forums for nursing programs beginning the accreditation or reaccreditation process. The focus of the forums is an overview of the accreditation process and writing a self-study.
ACEN Accreditation Process In Nursing Education
ACEN follows the accreditation model discussed earlier in the chapter. A four-step process is used that includes a self-study report, an on-site visit, review of submitted materials by the evaluation panel, and a final decision by the Board of Commissioners (Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, 2013).
The on-site visit is performed by site visitors composed of professional peers in education and practice. The team of site visitors looks for congruence between the self-study and their assessment of the program. The report of the on-site visitors is submitted to ACEN and a copy is sent to the nursing program administrator, who has 2 weeks to review the report and clarify any factual errors on a response form.
The final draft of the report is sent to the on-site visitors and the nursing program administrator. The next step in the process is review of the report by the evaluation review panel. This body validates the report of the on-site review team and determines if evidence demonstrates compliance with the accreditation standards and criteria.
The review panel is appointed by the ACEN Board of Commissioners and one of the commissioners serves as a member of the review panel. The nursing program administrator may attend the meeting of the evaluation review panel in person or via conference call.
A recommendation from the evaluation review panel is made to the ACEN Board of Commissioners, which has the sole authority for determining the accreditation status of nursing program applicants.