Standards Review and Revision (2011-2012)

The Standards Committee is responsible for designing and implementing a process for reviewing the accreditation standards. The committee is active during the scheduled major review of the standards, which is initiated five years (or sooner if deemed necessary) after the completion of the previous review. The committee recommends to the CCNE Board of Commissioners (Board) revisions in accreditation standards subject to review by the CCNE community of interest and for final approval by the Board.

The Standards Committee is constituted in keeping with a planned review of the accreditation standards scheduled five years after completion of the previous major review (or sooner if deemed necessary), and serves until the review process results in adoption by the Board of a final document.

The Standards Committee is accountable to the Board. The Board chair appoints a chair of the Standards Committee. The chair of the committee reports to the Board, detailing the progress of the work of the committee.

In accordance with CCNE policy, a Standards Committee was appointed in September 2011, by the CCNE Board chair, and includes representation from: Institutional & Program Officials, Faculty, Practice and the Public. For a list of Standards Committee members please click here.

The current Standards for Accreditation of Baccalaureate and Graduate Degree Programs:

•    Were last adopted by the CCNE Board in April 2009
•    Went into effect January 1, 2010

CCNE anticipates a year-long process for the review and revision of the accreditation standards. CCNE expects that the CCNE Board will approve the proposed standards in October 2012. In the past, CCNE has provided programs with advance notice (e.g., 9-12 months) before new standards go into effect.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE STANDARDS

CCNE has in place a systematic, planned, and ongoing program of review to determine the effectiveness of the standards used in the accreditation process. The accreditation standards are reviewed every five years (i.e., five years from the time of completion of the previous review). The Standards Committee assists in coordinating the review of the standards.

The systematic review of the standards incorporates the following:

1. Notification about the opportunity for CCNE constituents and other interested parties to validate the current standards and provide input about any problems in the interpretation or application of the standards or any gaps that might exist. This assures all interested parties will have an opportunity to provide input about the standards at any time through the CCNE website. All comments must be submitted to CCNE in writing; the name, affiliation and contact information of the individual submitting the comments must be identified.

2. Broad-based surveys about the standards that solicit input by relevant constituencies to    include academics (faculty and administrators), practicing nurses, students, graduates, leaders of nursing organizations, and representatives of licensing and accrediting agencies. Specifically, CCNE solicits information through a web-based questionnaire designed to probe participants’ understanding and interpretation of the standards, as well as to evaluate each standard for its validity and relevance to the quality of a nursing education program. Each standard and key element, as well as the standards as a whole, is reviewed through this surveying process. CCNE additionally solicits input about the standards from on-site evaluators and nursing programs officials following each on-site evaluation. This allows for valuable input from individuals who recently experienced an on-site evaluation and, thus, are familiar with the accreditation process.

3. Periodic review of the standards in a practical, manageable, and consistent way to facilitate sound decision making that results in the validation of the standards. If CCNE determines at any point during its systematic review process that it needs to make changes to the standards, CCNE will initiate action within 12 months to address the relevant issues. Such action may include convening the Standards Committee for the purpose of reviewing the standards and recommending changes to the Board. Final action must be taken by the Board within a reasonable period of time but no later than 12 months from the time proposed standards are disseminated to constituents.

Before adopting any changes to the standards, CCNE will provide notice to its constituents and other interested parties of the proposed changes. Constituents will be given at least 21 days to comment on the proposed revisions. Any comments submitted by constituents in a timely manner will be considered by the Board before final action is taken with respect to the standards.

If you have any questions regarding this process, please contact Lori Schroeder, CCNE Associate Director, at (202) 887-6791 x253 or lschroeder@aacn.nche.edu.

Standards Review and Revision (2011-2012)

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