Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing 2023

STANDARD 1 — Administrative Capacity and Resources

The mission and/or philosophy of the nursing program reflects the governing organization’s mission, goals, and/or values. The governing organization and nursing program have administrative capacity and resources that support effective delivery of the program and facilitate the achievement of the end-of-program student learning outcomes and program outcomes for each nursing program type, and additionally for graduate programs the role-specific nursing competencies.
 

Criterion 1:1

The mission, goals, and/or values of the governing organization are evident in the mission, goals, values, and/or philosophy of the nursing program.

How Exxat Prism Supports This Criterion

Exxat supports nursing programs in documenting, organizing, and presenting evidence that demonstrates alignment between the governing organization’s mission, goals, and values and the nursing program’s mission, philosophy, and outcomes. By serving as a centralized system for program documentation, outcomes tracking, and curriculum alignment, Exxat enables programs to clearly show that institutional mission and values are reflected in nursing program design, delivery, and evaluation and present this evidence clearly during accreditation review.

STANDARD 2 — Faculty & Staff

Faculty are educationally and experientially qualified for their assigned roles and responsibilities, maintain expertise, and are regularly evaluated to support the achievement of the end-of-program student learning outcomes and program outcomes for each nursing program type, and additionally for graduate programs the role-specific nursing competencies.

Criterion 2.1

Full-time faculty are nurses who:

1. hold the educational qualifications as required by the:

   • Governing organization

   • Regulatory agencies

2. Hold nursing licensure, and certification as applicable, consistent with their assigned roles and responsibilities;

   • Are experientially qualified for their assigned roles and responsibilities; and

   • Are sufficient in number.

How Exxat Prism Supports This Criterion

Exxat Prism supports nursing programs in documenting, managing, and reporting full-time faculty qualifications, licensure, workload, and teaching assignments. By centralizing faculty data and providing structured reporting, Exxat enables programs to demonstrate that full-time faculty meet governing organization and regulatory requirements.

Navigation: Dashboard → Faculty and Staff → Click on Faculty Name→ Profile

Navigation: Dashboard → Faculty and Staff → Click on Faculty Name → Teaching

Criterion 2.2

Part-time faculty are nurses who:

1. Holds the educational qualifications as required by the:

   • governing organization and

   • regulatory agencies

2. Holds nursing licensure, and certification as applicable, consistent with their assigned roles and responsibilities

3. Are experientially qualified for their assigned roles and responsibilities

4. Are sufficient in number.

How Exxat Prism Supports This Criterion

Exxat Prism supports nursing programs in documenting and monitoring part-time faculty qualifications, licensure, role assignments, and instructional coverage. By centralizing part-time faculty records and teaching assignments, Exxat enables programs to demonstrate appropriate deployment to support program delivery.

Navigation: Dashboard → Faculty and Staff → Click on the Faculty Name→ Faculty Profile

Navigation: Dashboard → Faculty and Staff → Click on the Faculty Name → Teaching

Criterion 2.9

Preceptors, when used:

1. Hold the educational qualifications as required by the: 

   • Nursing program and 

   • Regulatory agencies

2. Hold licensure, and certification as applicable, consistent with their assigned roles and responsibilities.

3. Are experientially qualified for their assigned roles and responsibilities.

4. Are oriented, mentored, and monitored; and

5. Have clearly documented responsibilities, which may include input into student evaluation.

How Exxat Prism Supports This Criterion

Exxat Prism supports nursing programs in managing preceptor qualifications, licensure, role documentation, and ongoing oversight. By centralizing preceptor records, Exxat enables programs to demonstrate that clinical supervisors are appropriately qualified and prepared to support in their roles of supervising and evaluating students in clinical settings.

Navigation: Dashboard → Sites → Personnel → Click on the Personnel Name

Navigation: Dashboard → Placements → Select a Course/ Placement Group  → Placement Clearance

Navigation: Dashboard → Program Details → Setup → Site Resources → Resources for Clinicians → Clinical Education Contacts

Navigation: Dashboard → Placements → Select a Course/Placement Group → Email & Publish

Standard 3 - Students

Student policies and services support the achievement of the end-of-program student learning outcomes and program outcomes for each nursing program type, and additionally for graduate programs the role-specific nursing competencies.

Criterion 3.2

The following nursing program or governing organization policies are publicly accessible, current, nondiscriminatory, and implemented as published; justification is provided when nursing policies differ

from the governing organization:

1. Admissions;

2. Progression;

3. Graduation;

4. Formal complaints and grievances procedures; and

5. Technology requirements.

Criterion 3.4

Student records maintained by the nursing program are kept secure and are in compliance with applicable policies/procedures of the governing organization and regulatory agencies

How Exxat Prism Supports Criterion 3.2 and 3.4

Exxat Prism supports nursing programs by providing a centralized resource management tool that allows programs to upload, organize, and publish important program materials such as policies, handbooks, clinical guidelines, and procedural documents directly to students. Resources can be categorized by type making it easy for students to locate relevant information and for administrators to keep materials current and organized.

Navigation: Dashboard → Students → Setup → Resources

Navigation: Dashboard → Students → Setup → Announcements

Criterion 3.5

Changes in nursing program policies/procedures are clearly and consistently communicated to students in an effective and timely manner.

How Exxat Prism Supports This Criterion

Exxat Prism supports nursing programs in documenting and communicating updates to program policies, procedures, and operational information through centralized communication tools. These mechanisms ensure students are notified of changes in a timely and consistent manner, providing a documented record of all communications.

Navigation: Dashboard → Students → Setup → Announcements

Navigation: Dashboard → Students → Setup → Attestations

Criterion 3.6

Student support services are commensurate with the needs of nursing students, regardless of location, methods of delivery, or program option.

How Exxat Prism supports this Criterion

Navigation: Dashboard → Surveys

Navigation: Dashboard → Surveys → Click on the Survey Name → View Analysis

Standard 4 - Curriculum

The curriculum supports achievement of end-of-program student learning outcomes and is consistent with safe practice in contemporary healthcare environments.

Criterion 4.1

The nursing curriculum has one set of end-of-program student learning outcomes that:

1. Are based on contemporary professional nursing standards, guidelines, and/or competencies; and
2. Apply to all program options and reflect the educational level at which students are being prepared.

Additionally, for Graduate Programs: integrate role-specific nursing competencies applicable to each program option.

How Exxat Prism Supports This Criterion

Exxat Prism supports programs in formally documenting and maintaining end-of-program student learning outcomes. Programs can enter, organize, and display outcomes within the system, providing a centralized and accessible record for accreditation review and curriculum mapping.

Navigation: Dashboard → Program Details → Standards

Criterion 4.2

Course student learning outcomes are organized to demonstrate progression to facilitate the students’ achievement of the end-of-program student learning outcomes.

Additionally, for Graduate Programs: the role-specific nursing competencies.

How Exxat Prism Supports This Criterion

Exxat Prism supports nursing programs in documenting curriculum structure, outcome alignment, and progression across the program of study. Through curriculum mapping, program sequencing views, and comprehensive reporting, Exxat enables programs to demonstrate that course student learning outcomes are intentionally organized to support progressive achievement of end-of-program outcomes.

Navigation: Dashboard → Courses → Click on the Course Name → Course Information → Measures

Navigation: Dashboard → Program Details → Standards

Navigation: Dashboard → Curriculum Mapping → Edit Curriculum

Navigation: Dashboard → Curriculum Mapping → Click on the ‘map’ icon on the Curriculum Grid for a course

Navigation: Dashboard → Curriculum Mapping → Mapping Reports

Navigation: Dashboard → Curriculum Mapping → Mapping Reports → Cumulative Report

Navigation: Dashboard → Curriculum Mapping → Mapping Reports → Mapping attribute report

Criterion 4.3

Teaching/instructional strategies and learning activities are varied, appropriate for the method of delivery, and incorporate learning and technology resources to facilitate the students’ achievement of course student learning outcomes.

How Exxat Prism Supports This Criterion

Exxat Prism's Curriculum Mapping module allows nursing programs to configure learning activities and/or assessment methods as Measure attributes across both didactic and clinical courses. This enables programs to document and demonstrate how different instructional strategies and learning activities are delivered across courses, providing clear evidence that they are varied and support student learning outcomes.

Navigation: Dashboard → Curriculum Mapping → Attributes → Course and Measure Attributes

Navigation: Dashboard → Curriculum Mapping → Mapping Reports → Measure attributes usage

Criterion 4.4

The nursing curriculum is:

1. Developed by the faculty and regularly reviewed for currency; and
2. Implemented as published.

How Exxat Prism Supports This Criterion

Individual Faculty can define and manage course objectives and learning outcomes that align with program sequencing and academic rigor via their Exxat Prism Faculty access.​

Navigation: Dashboard → Curriculum Mapping → Select a Course → Course Information → Measures

Criterion 4.5

The nursing program of study includes:

Undergraduate Programs:

1. General education courses/concepts that enhance nursing knowledge and practice for the educational level at which students are being prepared.
2. Nursing courses that facilitate student achievement of course student learning outcomes and end-of-program student learning outcomes.

Graduate Programs:

1. Core/foundational courses that support the program and enhance practice for the educational level at which students are being prepared.
2. Nursing courses that facilitate student achievement of course student learning outcomes, end-of-program student learning outcomes, and role-specific nursing competencies.

How Exxat Prism Supports This Criterion

Exxat Prism's Curriculum Mapping module allows nursing programs to organize and document their entire program of study in a curriculum grid capturing both general education and nursing courses across undergraduate and graduate levels. Programs can use the Generate Syllabus feature to produce a structured document from the course information that can be shared with students and faculty

Navigation: Dashboard → Curriculum Mapping → Curriculum Grid

Navigation: Dashboard → Courses → Select a Course → Generate Syllabus

Criterion 4.6

Course credits and/or clock hours for all nursing courses in the program of study, including ratios for contact hours, comply with requirements of the:

• Governing organization and
• Regulatory agencies.

Additionally for Graduate Programs:

• Certifying agencies, as applicable.

How Exxat Prism Supports This Criterion

Exxat Prism's Timesheets module supports nursing programs in documenting and verifying clinical, practicum, and practice learning experience hours. Structured hour tracking and reporting enable programs to demonstrate compliance with contact hour requirements across all nursing courses with clinical components.

Navigation: Dashboard → Courses → Select a Course → Learning Activities → Setup → Timesheets

Navigation: Dashboard → Learning Activities → Reports → Hours by Categories Report

Criterion 4.9

Clinical/practicum learning environments and experiences:

1. Have current written agreements that specify expectations for all parties for the protection of the student;
2. Reflect evidence-based nursing practice; and
3. Meet regulatory agencies requirements for clinical/practicum learning environments, as applicable.

For Undergraduate Programs:

• Reflect the educational level at which students are being prepared to facilitate the achievement of the course student learning outcomes and end-of-program student learning outcomes.

For Graduate Programs:

• Reflect the educational level at which students are being prepared to facilitate the achievement of the course student learning outcomes, end-of-program student learning outcomes, and role-specific nursing competencies.

How Exxat Prism Supports This Criterion

Exxat Prism supports nursing programs in managing clinical and practicum learning environments by centralizing clinical site records, agreements, preceptor documentation, placements, evaluations, and student assignments enabling programs to demonstrate that experiences are appropriately structured and compliant.

Navigation: Dashboard → Sites

Navigation: Dashboard → Sites → Personnel

Navigation: Dashboard → Courses → Select a Course → Learning Activities → Setup → Forms/Evaluations

Navigation: Dashboard → Learning Activities → Reports → Comprehensive Report for Placement Based Forms

Criterion 4.10

Formative and summative student evaluation methods:

1. Are utilized throughout the curriculum in all learning environments;
2. Are varied and appropriate for all methods of delivery; and
3. Align with the progression of course student learning outcomes.

How Exxat Prism Supports This Criterion

Exxat Prism supports documentation of both formative and summative student evaluation methods used across didactic and clinical/practicum learning environments. By centralizing evaluation tools, linking evaluations to courses and learning experiences, and maintaining historical records, Exxat enables programs to demonstrate that evaluation methods are intentional, varied, and outcome-aligned.

Navigation: Dashboard → Courses → Select a Course → Learning Activities → Review

Navigation: Dashboard → Courses → Select a Course → Learning Activities → Review

Navigation: Dashboard → Learning Activities → Reports → Comprehensive Report for Placement Based Forms

Standard 5 - Outcomes

Nursing program assessment demonstrates the extent of student learning at or near the end of the program as well as program outcome achievement using a systematic plan for evaluation (SPE).

The faculty create and implement a written SPE* for each nursing program type to determine the extent of the achievement of each end-of-program student learning outcome and program outcome, and additionally for graduate programs the role-specific nursing competencies, to inform program decision-making to maintain or improve student and program performance.

*Programs seeking initial accreditation are required to have data from the time that the nursing program achieves candidacy with the ACEN

Criterion 5.1

The systematic plan for evaluation describes the process for regular summative nursing programlevel assessment of student learning outcome achievement. The faculty will:

1. Use a variety of appropriate direct outcome assessment methods to ensure comprehensive summative assessment for each end-of-program student learning outcome;
2. Establish a specific, measurable expected level of achievement outcome statement for each summative assessment method;
3. Collect aggregate assessment data at regular intervals (determined by the faculty) to ensure sufficiency of data to inform decision-making and disaggregate the data to promote meaningful analysis; provide justification for data that are not disaggregated;
4. Analyze assessment data (aggregate and/or disaggregate) at regular intervals (determined by the faculty) and when necessary, implement actions based on the analysis to maintain and/or improve end-of-program student learning outcome achievement;
5. Maintain documentation for the three most recent years of the assessment data (aggregate and/or disaggregate), the analysis of data, and the use of data analysis in program decisionmaking to maintain and/or improve students’ end-of-program student learning outcome achievement; and
6. Share the analysis of the end-of-program student learning outcome data with communities of interest.
7. Additionally for Graduate Programs: The systematic plan for evaluation describes the process for regular summative nursing program-level assessment for role-specific nursing competencies for each program option, which may be aligned with the end-of-program student learning outcomes or assessed separately

How Exxat Prism Supports This Criterion

Exxat Prism supports nursing programs in collecting, aggregating, and analyzing student assessment data through the Learning Activities and Competency Management modules. Structured competency tracking and aggregate performance analytics enable programs to monitor student achievement, compare outcomes to expected benchmarks, and generate data to support evidence-based program decisions.

Navigation: Dashboard → Learning Activities → Reports → Aggregate Report for Placement Based Forms

Navigation: Dashboard → Competency Management → Review → Select Student → View Report

Criterion 5.4

The written systematic plan for evaluation describes the process for annual assessment of the job

placement rate. Faculty will:

1. Use appropriate assessment methods to request job placement data from all graduates based on the role for which graduates are prepared. For students who hold licensure/certification as a registered or advanced practice nurse upon admission to the nursing program, assessment may include, but is not limited to, professional/personal growth, career advancement, and/or a new role specialty with the degree/certificate achievement;
2. Establish a specific, measurable expected level of achievement outcome statement for job placement in the role for which graduate are prepared and provide a rationale for the expected level of achievement;
3. Collect sufficient aggregate post-graduation job placement rate data annually including the response rate and disaggregate the data to promote meaningful analysis; provide justification for data that are not disaggregated;
4. Analyze sufficiency of job placement rate data annually and when necessary, implement actions to maintain and/or improve data sufficiency;
5. Analyze aggregate job placement rate data (aggregate and/or disaggregate) annually and when necessary, implement actions based on the analysis to maintain and/or improve the job placement rate;
6. Maintain documentation for the three most recent years of the data (aggregate and/or disaggregate), the analysis of data, and the use of data analysis in program decision-making to maintain and/or improve students’ success in obtaining a job in a role for which the program prepared them; and
7. Share the analysis of the job placement rate data with the communities of interest.

How Exxat Prism Supports This Criterion

Exxat Prism's Surveys module enables nursing programs to design, distribute, and analyze surveys for collecting post-graduation and program effectiveness data. Programs can reach both internal records and external email recipients, supporting comprehensive job placement data collection and ongoing outcomes analysis.

Navigation: Dashboard → Surveys

Navigation: Dashboard → Surveys → Click on the Survey Name → View Analysis