CCNE — Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education 

Registered nurses perform various critical tasks in the medical field, from diagnostic tests to operating medical equipment. This makes it valuable for nurses to receive quality education from an accredited nursing program that offers them the extensive knowledge and confidence needed to perform well in a medical setting.

Learn about the value of the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) accreditation for nursing programs, its quality standards, the accreditation process, and other accreditation process compliance tips for higher education institutions.

What is CCNE accreditation?

The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education accreditation is a voluntary, self-regulatory process that establishes nursing program quality standards and criteria for certification of graduate, baccalaureate, and residency/fellowship programs. The commission’s goal is to accredit nursing programs that use effective educational practices and continuously work toward improvement.

As part of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), which assesses nursing program quality and whether an institution meets expected outcomes, CCNE recognizes and evaluates Doctor of Nursing Practice, Master of Science in Nursing, Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees, and post master’s nurse practitioner (NP) programs.

CCNE accreditation standards

CCNE uses four accreditation standards to assess the quality of nursing programs. These focus on governance, student support, faculty, curriculum, and expected nursing program outcomes.

1. Mission and governance

Higher education institutions with this accreditation should ensure the program’s goals, mission, and outcomes align with those of the parent institution, cater to the community’s needs, and reflect professional nursing standards. The standard also requires that the program’s faculty and students be involved in program governance and ongoing efforts to improve program quality.

2. Institutional commitment and resources

This standard requires that the parent institution demonstrates an ongoing commitment to providing the CCNE-accredited program with necessary resources, such as faculty and staff, to support the nursing program and the achievement of its goals, mission, and expected program outcomes.

3. Curriculum and teaching-learning practices

The curriculum of a CCNE-accredited program should align with the program’s goals, mission, and expected student outcomes, reflect professional nursing guidelines and standards, and meet community expectations. The teaching-learning practices used should also support the achievement of expected student outcomes.

4. Assessment and achievement of program outcomes

This standard requires that the program demonstrate its effectiveness in fulfilling its goals and mission. The program should collect and use this data to foster continuous program improvement. Data collection may use a systematic process that includes comprehensive information, timelines, a review of expected and actual outcomes, and analysis.

CCNE accreditation process

The general CCNE accreditation process may follow four primary steps:

1. Self-study: The program should undergo a self-study 12-18 months before an on-site evaluation. This assessment should demonstrate and explain how the nursing program achieves CCNE standards.
2. Multi-day on-site evaluation: The CCNE may appoint an evaluation team to review the nursing program on-site according to self-study findings. It’s important to schedule the evaluation at least 12 months in advance. After the evaluation team completes the review, the team leader may summarize major findings to the chief nurse administrator during the exit interview.
3. Site report submission: During this stage, the evaluation team completes their written report and passes it on to CCNE staff, the CCNE Accreditation Review Committee (ARC), and the CCNE Board of Commissioners for the final accreditation decision.
4. On-going compliance reports: Nursing programs may maintain accreditation by submitting annual reports to the CCNE. In these, you might include statistical data and relevant information about the program, parent institution, students, and faculty to verify ongoing compliance.

CCNE accreditation compliance tips

If you’re aiming to receive CCNE accreditation, there are various steps you can take to facilitate a smooth process and effectively showcase compliance. Here five valuable tips for preparing for CCNE on-site evaluation and effective data reporting.

Create a single comprehensive self-study document

Whether you’re hosting an evaluation for one or multiple nursing programs, a single comprehensive self-study document that addresses each CCNE accreditation standard can be helpful to the evaluation team and other CCNE reviewers. Here are some information your self-study document can include:

• Table of contents including page numbers
• Concise introduction to the nursing programs and institutional setting
• Program strengths and its impact on student achievement
• Areas for improvement
• Detailed plan of action for addressing ongoing compliance and program areas needing improvement
• Tables for presenting data

Organize the virtual resource room correctly

A virtual resource room is a virtual space in which the evaluation team has access to evaluation resource materials. The AACN recommends that this resource room includes any materials referenced in the self-study that are missing from the appendices and evidence of compliance. Some examples of these resources might include:

• Current faculty CVs
• Meeting minutes
• Alumni, student, or employer survey instruments
• Summaries or analyses of survey responses
• institution reports
• Examples of student work

Provide evaluators with appropriate facilities and support

Institutions are typically responsible for reserving hotel rooms for each evaluation team member. Team members typically pay for these, and the CCNE reimburses them for the payment. When choosing a suitable hotel, it’s important to consider whether they will continue working at the hotel. For this reason, book rooms at a hotel with internet access and a meeting space for group work that is close to a business center with a printer. You may also provide the team with emergency contact information for a designated program representative.

Create an accurate and comprehensive agenda

The program should prepare the agenda for the on-site evaluation. As such, consider doing the following:

• Reserve time for the evaluation team to review virtual resource room materials.
• Schedule constituent meetings in one-hour time blocks.
• Reserve occasional breaks on the agenda.
• Include time to transport the team between teaching sites, campuses, and clinical sites.
• Schedule a meeting with the program administrator for each day the team is there to address any questions or requests the team has.
• Reserve the final on-site evaluation day for the team to seek clarification from program representatives, conclude the review of virtual resource materials, prepare for the exit interview, and finalize the accreditation report.

Report specific and measurable outcomes and improvement data

When reporting outcomes and improvement data, whether to receive accreditation or demonstrate ongoing compliance, it’s important to report specific and measurable indicators of achievement. For example, a statement could include:

• The type of degree program
• How specifically it can improve student learning outcomes
• The expected achievement level
• The actual achievement level
• How much the outcomes can or have improved

Enhance your accreditation readiness with software from Watermark

Understanding CCNE accreditation standards can help you present and improve your nursing program, curricula, and educational practices to attract students seeking high-quality education and learning experiences. You can enhance your compliance with the CCNE accreditation process through accreditation solutions from Watermark.

Watermark’s accreditation readiness software may help you simplify and streamline the accreditation review and reporting process through programmatic and assessment data that is gathered and optimized into actionable insights. To get started, request a demo with us today.