We are at a crossroad in higher education due to the pandemic and social concerns, which will have a lasting impact on nurses, health care, and the education of future nurses worldwide. This lasting impact is intersecting with the forthcoming routine review of the ACEN Standards and Criteria and offers an opportunity to ensure the ACEN Standards and Criteria continue to provide a framework for ensuring quality in nursing education and meeting the needs of our profession and nursing practice, now and in the future.
Per ACEN Policy #24 Assessment of the Adequacy of Standards and Criteria, ACEN Process, and Practices, the ACEN is seeking an expansive range of volunteers to participate in the review and potential revision of the 2017 Standards and Criteria to ensure that the Standards and Criteria continue to be valid and reliable indicators of the educational quality provided by ACEN-accredited programs worldwide and are relevant to the educational needs of students.
Types of Volunteers Needed:
- 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.
Nominations are closed as of May 13, 2021
Participation Commitment Timeline
| Timeline | Activity |
| Spring 2021 | Nomination of volunteers. |
| Summer 2021 | Selection of review teams. |
| Fall 2021 and Spring 2022 using videoconferencing technology | Three teams with a cross-section of representatives from the aforementioned volunteers on each team will conduct the review of the 2017 Standards and Criteria and make recommendations to the ACEN Board of Commissioners. Each team will review 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. Using videoconferencing technology, each team will meet frequently and probably weekly throughout the review process, which will involve discussions on the 2017 Standards and Criteria, analysis of data, review of reference documents, review of public comments, and other pertinent information. |
| Early Spring 2022 | One in-person meeting for all teams in Atlanta, GA |
| July 2022 | The ACEN Board of Commissioners will consider recommendations from the teams and will finalize/approve the 2023 Standards and Criteria. |
| January 1, 2023 | Implementation of the 2023 Standards and Criteria begins with any programs being reviewed during 2023 having the choice of using the 2017 Standards and Criteria or the 2023 Standards and Criteria. |
| January 1, 2024 | Mandatory use by all programs of the 2023 Standards and Criteria. |
Submit your nomination now!
Please forward this information to nursing students, nursing colleagues, and communities of interest and encourage their involvement.
The future of nursing education is bright because of dedicated volunteers who care about the future of nursing.
Nominations are closed as of May 13, 2021