2023 STANDARDS AND CRITERIA APPROVED BY ACEN BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

2023 Standards & Criteria Approved by ACEN Board of Commissioners

Published: August 1, 2022

At their July 20, 2022, meeting the ACEN Board of Commissioners approved the 2023 Standards and Criteria.

The review process began in August 2021, which included numerous individuals working throughout the past year on the 2023 Standards & Criteria.

Contents

Significant and Exciting Changes

There are some significant and exciting changes in the 2023 Standards & Criteria:

  1. There is one set of Standards & Criteria for all programs (practical, diploma, associate, baccalaureate, master’s/PMC and clinical doctorate/DNP Specialist certificate).
  2. There are 5 Standards:
  1. The qualifications for nurse administrators changed (Criterion 1.4).
  2. The requirements for the licensure examination pass rate changed (Criterion 5.3).
  3. Distance education was incorporated throughout and is one type of method of delivery.

Important Milestones

  1. The 2023 Standards & Criteria become effective January 1, 2023.
  2. During calendar year 2023, all programs being reviewed will have the choice of using the 2023 Standards & Criteria or the 2017 Standards & Criteria.
  3. Effective January 1, 2024, all programs being reviewed must use the 2023 Standards & Criteria.

Materials that support the 2023 Standards & Criteria will be released soon (e.g., updated Accreditation Manual, updated guidelines, training materials).

Overview of the Process

Timeline Activity Status
Spring 2021 Nomination of volunteers to serve on teams to conduct the review of the 2017 Standards and Criteria and make recommendations to the ACEN Board of Commissioners. Desired volunteers included:
  • nursing students enrolled in ACEN-accredited or ACEN candidate undergraduate and graduate nursing programs worldwide;
  • nurse clinicians from a variety of health care settings, especially clinicians that work with newly licensed LPNs, RNs, and APRNs;
  • nurse educators teaching in ACEN-accredited or ACEN candidate undergraduate and graduate nursing programs worldwide; and
  • other communities of interest such as those that have no relationship with nursing.
 Completed
Summer 2021 Appointment to review teams. Completed
Fall 2021 Teams with a cross-section of representatives from the aforementioned volunteers on each team. Each team reviewed two paired Standards (Standards 1 & 5, Standards 2 & 3, Standards 4 & 6) for all program types – practical, diploma, associate, baccalaureate, master’s and clinical doctorate nursing programs. Completed
Spring 2022 First public comment period – February 14 to March 13
Second public comment period – April 18 to May 15
 Completed
July 2022 The ACEN Board of Commissioners review the 2023 Standards and Criteria. Approved
January 1, 2023 Implementation of the 2023 Standards and Criteria begins with any programs being reviewed during 2023 having the choice of using the 2023 Standards and Criteria or the 2017 Standards and Criteria. Upcoming
January 1, 2024 Mandatory use by all programs of the 2023 Standards and Criteria. Upcoming

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