ACEN — Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing accreditation tips

Accreditation is the foundation of many higher education programs. Nursing, in particular, must be held to the highest standards, as graduates from these programs directly impact people’s lives. Only ACEN-accredited programs have received certification to show that they meet the rigorous education standards required for health care careers. The 3.175 million nurses in the U.S. graduated from accredited programs that helped them find meaningful jobs. 

As a leading accrediting body, ACEN sets comprehensive standards and criteria for nursing education programs. While accreditation is essential for higher education institutions, the process can be challenging. Streamlining your preparation and having a detailed strategy are critical to achieving your accreditation goals. 

Why seek ACEN accreditation?

ACEN accreditation shows that your institution upholds the highest standards in nursing education. The U.S. Department of Education sets these high standards. They aim to ensure that every licensed practice nurse (LPN), registered nurse (RN), and advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) is prepared to meet their profession’s demands. Accreditation offers significant benefits for institutions offering nursing programs: 

• Enhanced credibility: ACEN accreditation is a peer-review process, meaning an independent body deems your nursing program to be of the highest possible standard. It shows students and their prospective employers that your program effectively prepares graduates for professional practice. 
• Increased student recruitment and retention: Students who graduate from unaccredited institutions cannot move on to health care careers. ACEN accreditation shows them that they can trust that your institution prioritizes their best interests. Programs that meet ACEN criteria have high-quality curriculum design, faculty support, and student resources, fostering a positive learning environment that supports student retention.
• Improved eligibility for funding: ACEN accreditation makes students eligible for funding support from federal and state agencies. 
• Continual program improvement: Higher education institutions thrive on continuous improvement. Getting and maintaining ACEN accreditation means identifying and addressing your weaknesses. 

What are ACEN’s accreditation requirements?

ACEN accreditation standards require review every five years. ACEN published the latest version of the standard in 2023. It established the eligibility criteria and parameters ACEN considered before awarding accreditation within the framework of their five standards: 

Administrative capacity and resources

Your nursing program’s mission and philosophy must align with ACEN’s mission, goals, and values. These goals include ensuring effective program delivery and achieving student learning outcomes. Key criteria for this standard include: 

• Involvement of nurse administrators and faculty in governance.
• Student participation in decision-making. 
• Community input in program processes.

Faculty qualifications

Faculty in the nursing program must have the necessary education and experience for their roles to ensure they support student learning outcomes. Your nursing program faculty must also have up to date expertise in teaching, assessment methods, and the principles of diversity. They must have clearly defined responsibilities and adopt a posture of ongoing learning. 

Student learning outcomes, policies and services

Your nursing program must prioritize student policies and services to boost student achievement. Your accreditation status must be current and accessible. Key policies — like admissions, progression, graduation, and how to file complaints, must be public, current and fair. If there’s ever an issue, students should be able to expect a straightforward process for resolving complaints with due process. 

Curriculum quality and relevance

Your curriculum must help students achieve their academic goals and master core competencies while ensuring safe practices in today’s health care landscape. It must feature unified student learning outcomes based on professional nursing standards. You must organize your courses to guide students through their journey so each step builds on the previous one. 

Outcomes in student competency based on a systematic plan for evaluation

Your nursing program assessment must evaluate student learning and program outcomes through a systematic plan for evaluation (SPE). Faculty should create and implement the SPE to assess student learning outcomes and role-specific competencies. The SPE includes regularly assessing student learning, program completion rates, licensure and certification exam pass rates, and job placement rates. 

How does the ACEN accreditation process work?

Your institution must take the following steps to gain ACEN accreditation for your nursing education programs: 

1. Self-study: Your program’s team must conduct a self-evaluation to determine how it conforms to ACEN criteria. 
2. Site visit: ACEN peer evaluators will visit your campus and observe your program. They will then compare their observations to the claims in your self-study. 
3. Evaluation review panel (ERP): A review panel makes an independent, program-specific judgment on whether your nursing program meets ACEN criteria using comprehensive documentation from the self-study and site visit. 
4. Board of Commissioners: The ACEN Board of Commissioners reviews the complete process and decides whether your program meets the accreditation criteria. 
5. Maintain accreditation: Your program must be reviewed five years after approval. If it meets ACEN standards, ACRN will grant you continuing accreditation, which is reviewed every eight years. Review panels survey your program annually, and it may be subject to review if they note any significant changes, such as a decline in pass rates. 

5 tips to gain ACEN accreditation

ACEN accreditation is understandably comprehensive. In maintaining stringent standards and criteria for accreditation, ACEN ensures that nursing programs prepare students for their careers. It fosters continuous improvement at accredited institutions — a vital element of student success. Some tips and tricks for obtaining ACEN accreditation include: 

• Understand the criteria: The better you understand what ACEN is looking for, the more effectively you can meet its criteria. Research the accreditation process and timeline and familiarize yourself with its standards, guidelines and procedures. 
• Conduct a comprehensive self-study: Your self-study is an excellent opportunity to identify and address opportunities for improvement in your existing program. It should consist of a systematic, evidence-based analysis of your program’s strengths and opportunities for improvement. The most crucial ingredient in your study is data. You can collect it from various sources, including student and faculty surveys. 
• Implement an application action plan: Once the study is complete, develop an action plan based on the findings. A detailed and realistic plan should outline the roles, responsibilities, actions, and resources necessary to improve your program and meet ACEN criteria. 
• Prepare for the site visit: The site visit is a pivotal element in the accreditation process. Peer reviewers scrutinize your program for a few days, and being prepared can streamline the process. Organize and update your documents for review, and brief and train your faculty, support staff, and students. 

Choose accreditation software from Watermark

Accreditation can be challenging, especially if you scramble to collect documentation at the last minute. Develop a sound strategy for approaching education using your past and current data. With data-driven insights, you can identify and address improvement opportunities in plenty of time. You don’t have to get ready when accreditation day comes around — you’ll be ready. 

Watermark’s accreditation readiness solutions streamline, simplify, and enhance accreditation and reporting. Our Educational Impact Suite (EIS) gathers and synthesizes your programmatic data into actionable insights and reports. Based on the findings, you can collaborate with your team and develop an action plan for meeting ACEN assessment criteria. Request a demo and streamline your ACEN accreditation process today!