| Course | EDN 814 Nursing Accreditation and Advocacy in the Profession |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 3 |
| Paper type | Accrediting body comparison |
| Length | About 1,173 words, 7 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Aspen University |
| Program | Doctor of Education |
| Updated | September 2026 |
Free sample paper for EDN 814 Module 3
Three Accreditors, One Profession: Comparing ACEN, CCNE and NLN CNEA for a Growing School of Nursing
Student Name
Doctor of Education Program, Aspen University
EDN 814: Nursing Accreditation and Advocacy in the Profession
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
Three Accreditors, One Profession: Comparing ACEN, CCNE and NLN CNEA for a Growing School of Nursing
Wexcombe College's baccalaureate nursing program has held accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) since 2014. With a Master of Science in Nursing planned and the baccalaureate program's next review four years away, the dean has asked the faculty to compare the three national agencies that accredit general nursing programs before the school commits its graduate program to any of them. This paper compares ACEN with CCNE (the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education) and NLN CNEA (the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation), and notes the specialty accreditors that some graduate tracks require. Module 4 uses the comparison to make a choice.
Why the Agencies Differ
The three agencies grew from different parts of the profession. ACEN descends from the National League for Nursing's long-standing accreditation work and has accredited programs at every level, including practical and associate degree programs. CCNE was established as an autonomous accrediting arm of AACN, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, which is the organization of baccalaureate and graduate schools, and it accredits only baccalaureate and graduate programs and nurse residency programs. NLN CNEA is the newest, created by the National League for Nursing to accredit programs across the full range from practical nursing to the doctorate. All three hold federal recognition, and graduate programs, certification boards and employers generally treat accreditation by any of them as equivalent.
ACEN
ACEN's 2023 revision cut its framework from six standards to five, covering the capacity and resources of the program's administration, its faculty, its students, its curriculum and its outcomes (Ard et al., 2023). The outcomes standard asks faculty to write and carry out a systematic plan for evaluation of each program type, covering end-of-program student learning outcomes and program outcomes and, for graduate programs, role-specific competencies, and to use the results in decisions. Programs receiving initial accreditation are reviewed again after five years, and continuing accreditation runs for up to eight years between reviews. Because ACEN accredits every level, a school with associate, baccalaureate and graduate programs can hold a single accreditor.
CCNE
CCNE's 2024 standards, which apply to evaluations before January 1, 2027, are organized into four standards, three on program quality (mission and governance, institutional commitment and resources, and curriculum with teaching-learning practices) and one on program effectiveness, meaning the assessment and achievement of outcomes (Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 2024). They state expected levels plainly: a completion rate of 70%, first-time licensure and certification pass rates of 80% and an employment rate of 80%, each with defined ways of calculating them. CCNE also requires baccalaureate and graduate curricula to incorporate the 10 domains, 8 concepts and 45 competencies of the Essentials (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2021). Initial accreditation may be granted for up to five years, and continuing accreditation for up to ten. A revised set of standards takes effect for evaluations from January 1, 2027.
NLN CNEA
NLN CNEA accredits programs from practical nursing through the doctorate, and its standards address program outcomes, mission and governance, faculty, students and curriculum within a framework that emphasizes a culture of excellence and continuous improvement. Its handbook sets a maximum term of six years for initial accreditation and ten years for continuing accreditation (National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation, 2023). As the youngest agency it accredits fewer programs than the other two, which some schools see as a disadvantage in recognition and others as an advantage in responsiveness.
Specialty Accreditors
Some graduate tracks answer to additional specialty agencies. Nurse anesthesia programs are accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs, and nurse-midwifery programs by the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education. Wexcombe's planned tracks, nurse educator and family nurse practitioner, need only one of the three general agencies, although the family nurse practitioner track must also meet the national criteria for nurse practitioner education that certification boards and accreditors use.
Comparison at a Glance
Six features that matter most to Wexcombe are set out for each agency in the table.
| Feature | ACEN | CCNE | NLN CNEA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Program levels | Practical through clinical doctorate | Baccalaureate, master's, DNP, post-graduate certificates, nurse residencies | Practical through doctorate |
| Number of standards | Five, adopted 2023 | Four, adopted 2024 | Five areas |
| Initial term | Review after five years | Up to five years | Up to six years |
| Continuing term | Up to eight years | Up to ten years | Up to ten years |
| Outcome expectations | Set by the program's evaluation plan within the standards | Completion 70%; licensure, certification and employment 80% | Set within the outcomes standard |
| Curriculum framework | Program selects its professional standards | Must include the 2021 Essentials components | Program selects its professional standards |
The Essentials and Accreditation
Published by AACN in 2021, the Essentials shifted professional nursing education toward competency-based learning, grouping expectations into 10 domains with separate competency levels for entry into practice and for advanced practice (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2021). For CCNE-accredited programs the Essentials are a requirement. For ACEN and NLN CNEA programs they are one of the professional standards a program may choose to adopt. Wexcombe's faculty has already begun mapping its baccalaureate courses to the Essentials, so the curriculum work would count toward any of the three agencies, but CCNE would make it mandatory and would examine it most directly.
What the Differences Mean in Practice
For a school like Wexcombe, the differences are less about quality than about fit. A school with an associate degree program must use ACEN or NLN CNEA for that program. A school with only baccalaureate and graduate programs can choose freely. Stated numeric expectations, as in CCNE's standards, give faculty a clear target but little room to explain a difficult year; program-set targets allow context but require the faculty to justify them. Longer terms reduce the frequency of full reviews but place more weight on interim reports. Staff at all three agencies answer questions from programs considering them, and speaking with them is an essential step before choosing.
What the Differences Do Not Mean
It would be a mistake to rank the agencies by rigor on the basis of this comparison. Each is federally recognized, each uses peer evaluators and a self-study, and each can deny or withdraw accreditation. Students and employers rarely distinguish among them. The choice should rest on the fit between an agency's scope and framework and the school's programs and plans, not on a belief that one accreditation is more prestigious.
Conclusion
ACEN, CCNE and NLN CNEA share a purpose and federal recognition but differ in the programs they accredit, the structure of their standards, the length of their terms and the way they set outcome expectations. CCNE's requirement to build curricula on the Essentials and its stated outcome levels are its most distinctive features; ACEN's and NLN CNEA's coverage of every program level is theirs. For Wexcombe, which offers no associate degree and is adopting the Essentials, all three are viable, and the choice turns on fit, which Module 4 weighs.
References
American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2021). The essentials: Core competencies for professional nursing education. https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/0/PDFs/Publications/Essentials-2021.pdf
Ard, N., Nunn-Ellison, K., Farmer, S., & Beasley, S. F. (2023). The new 2023 ACEN Standards and Criteria. Teaching and Learning in Nursing, 18(2), 253-256. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.teln.2022.12.004
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. (2024). Standards for accreditation of baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs. American Association of Colleges of Nursing. https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/0/PDFs/CCNE/CCNE-Education-Standards-2024.pdf
National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation. (2023). Accreditation handbook. National League for Nursing. https://cnea.nln.org/
EDN 814 Module 3 instructions, in plain terms
Investigating the accreditation options for nursing is part of Aspen's EDN 814 description, and with the third module's wording visible only in the course, this example compares the agencies themselves. Such comparisons normally ask you to describe each accrediting body accurately, compare their standards and processes and explain what the differences mean for a program. Use each agency's current documents rather than older summaries, because standards change: two of the three have revised theirs recently. Compare on features that matter to a school, such as program levels, structure of standards, terms and how outcome expectations are set. Say where a school has no choice, for example when it offers associate degrees. Avoid ranking the agencies by prestige, and finish by explaining how the comparison would guide a choice.
Inside the EDN 814 Module 3 example
The comparison opens with the composite school's situation: a baccalaureate program accredited by ACEN since 2014 and an MSN on the way. It explains why the agencies differ by tracing each one's origin, then gives ACEN, CCNE and NLN CNEA a section each, covering standards, outcome expectations and terms, including CCNE's expected levels of 70% completion and 80% licensure, certification and employment. A short section names the specialty accreditors. A four-column table compares program levels, number of standards, initial and continuing terms, outcome expectations and curriculum frameworks. The final sections explain that CCNE requires the Essentials' 10 domains, 8 concepts and 45 competencies while the other two treat them as optional, discuss what the differences mean in practice, and caution against reading the comparison as a ranking.
EDN 814 Module 3 rubric: what earns full marks
A comparison of accreditors is judged on current and accurate facts, a fair basis for comparison and analysis of what the differences mean. This example takes its facts from primary sources: CCNE's 2024 standards, the NLN CNEA handbook, the AACN Essentials and a Teaching and Learning in Nursing article by ACEN leaders describing the 2023 standards, all cited in APA style. Stating which CCNE standards apply before and after January 2027 shows attention to currency that graders notice. The comparison table uses the same six features for every agency. The section on what the differences do not mean, that none is simply more rigorous, shows balanced judgment, and the link to the Essentials connects the comparison to the curriculum work the school is already doing.
Common EDN 814 Module 3 mistakes, and how to avoid them
The most damaging mistake in this module is using outdated information, such as ACEN's six older standards or old terms of accreditation. Download each agency's current standards before you write and note their effective dates. A second mistake is treating the agencies as interchangeable in every respect; they differ in scope, framework and outcome expectations, and those differences matter for particular schools. Third, avoid prestige rankings, which evaluators and faculty find unpersuasive. Build your comparison around one real or composite school so each difference has consequences. Check whether a program you know has changed accreditors and why. If the standards documents feel dense, a tutor can help you extract the features you need into a comparison grid.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
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EDN 814 Module 3 questions, answered
What does EDN 814 Module 3 usually ask for?
Aspen's EDN 814 investigates the programmatic accreditation options for nursing, so a comparison of the accrediting bodies and their standards is a typical third assignment. Follow your classroom prompt.
What is the difference between ACEN and CCNE?
ACEN accredits nursing programs at every level from practical nursing up, while CCNE accredits only baccalaureate and graduate programs and requires curricula built on the AACN Essentials.
How long does CCNE accreditation last?
Under its current procedures, initial accreditation may run up to five years and continuing accreditation up to ten, with reports required between reviews.
Where can I find a free EDN 814 Module 3 sample paper?
The complete example is above, comparing ACEN, CCNE and NLN CNEA by program levels, standards, terms and outcome expectations in a four-column table.
Which nursing accreditors accredit associate degree programs?
ACEN and NLN CNEA accredit programs at every level, including associate degree programs; CCNE accredits only baccalaureate and graduate programs and nurse residencies.