Press Release
For
Immediate Release
CCNE Amends Core Documents Used in Accreditation of
Baccalaureate and Graduate Degree Nursing Programs
Washington, DC, May 1, 2009 - Completing a comprehensive review process that involved broad-based calls for comment and significant input by its constituents, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) has amended two of its core documents: (1) the standards used to ensure quality in baccalaureate and graduate level nursing programs, and (2) the procedures guiding the accreditation reviews of these nursing programs. An autonomous arm of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), CCNE is a nationally recognized accrediting body responsible for the evaluation of baccalaureate and graduate degree programs in nursing.
At its April 23-25 meeting, the CCNE Board of Commissioners approved an amended version of its Standards for Accreditation of Baccalaureate and Graduate Degree Nursing Programs. The revised standards document, which will go into effect on January 1, 2010, adopts the newly revised The Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice (AACN, 2008) and conforms to the accreditation provisions of the Higher Education Opportunity Act, which was enacted in August 2008. The Act is the first comprehensive reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, since 1998. Programs hosting a CCNE on-site evaluation and/or submitting a report to CCNE after January 1, 2010, will be required to comply with the revised Standards. CCNE will offer assistance to these programs in their preparation for accreditation activities.
At the same meeting, the CCNE Board approved an amended version of its Procedures for Accreditation of Baccalaureate and Graduate Degree Nursing Programs. The revised Procedures, which went into effect on April 23, incorporate two significant changes. First, the effective date of the accreditation action will be retroactive to the first day of the program’s most recent CCNE on-site evaluation. Previously, the effective date was the date of the CCNE Board’s vote to accredit the program. Second, the newly amended Procedures revised CCNE’s process for the review of adverse actions made by the CCNE Board against an institution; this process provides for appeals based on factual evidence and procedural matters. CCNE believes that the revised policy strengthens the process for review of adverse actions and assures that CCNE conforms to related provisions in the 2008 Higher Education Opportunity Act.
“As CCNE enters its second decade of accrediting nursing education programs, it is important that the Commission’s foundational documents are reflective of the dynamic and evolving nature of nursing and higher education,” said Dr. Harriet R. Feldman, Chair of the CCNE Board of Commissioners. “The changes made to the revised Standards and Procedures reinforce CCNE’s commitment to professional nursing standards, input from its communities of interest, and procedural fairness.”
On October 30, 2009, CCNE will offer an invitational Workshop on Writing Self-Studies in Washington, DC. The workshop will address both amended documents; all programs hosting a CCNE on-site evaluation in 2010 will be invited to attend. The revised Standards and Procedures may be accessed by visiting the CCNE Web site at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Accreditation.
The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education is an autonomous accrediting agency contributing to the improvement of the public's health. CCNE ensures the quality and integrity of baccalaureate and graduate degree nursing education programs and post-baccalaureate nurse residency programs. As a voluntary, self-regulatory process, CCNE accreditation supports and encourages continuing self-assessment by nursing programs and supports continuing growth and improvement of collegiate professional education and post-baccalaureate nurse residency programs.
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CONTACT: Benjamin Murray
202-887-6791, extension 275
bmurray@aacn.nche.edu
