SELF - STUDY

details regarding the preparation of the Self-Study Report. While all programs seeking initial accreditation are expected to attend a forum prior to completion of their preparation for review, the forum is available to anyone planning accreditation review. Dates and locations are posted on the NLNAC website (www.nlnac.org).

Programs applying for initial accreditation will be assigned an NLNAC professional staff member as a mentor to assist the program in the preparation for accreditation at the time the program contacts NLNAC of its intent to apply for initial accreditation.

SELF - STUDY

Programs applying for accreditation must prepare a self-study to demonstrate the extent to which the program meets the accreditation standards and criteria.

The process of self-study represents the combined effort of governing organization administrators, nursing education unit administrators, faculty, staff, students, and other

Self-Study Report

The Self-Study Report is the primary document used by the site visit team, the evaluation review panels, and the Board of Commissioners to understand the nursing program.

• The report must be based upon the NLNAC accreditation standards and criteria in effect at the time of the review. (Accreditation standards and criteria become effective on the Commission approval date. Programs scheduled for review within twelve months of revision of the standards and criteria may elect to use the current or the former version of the standards and criteria).

• Faculty and administrators are responsible for presenting evidence that clearly indicates how the standards and criteria are being met. Members of the site visit team will use the Self-Study Report in preparation for their visit to the program.

Guidelines for Writing the Self - Study

The Self-Study Report is written by the nursing education unit using the most recent edition of the NLNAC Accreditation Manual with Interpretative Guidelines by Program Type for Post Secondary and Higher Degree Programs in Nursing. The self-study document must include program history, context, and self-evaluation related to the standards and criteria, and program plans for future development and improvement. Program-specific presentations of the standards and criteria and a glossary can be found in the Interpretative Guidelines section of this document.

There are four sections to the Self-Study Report:

• Section One: Executive Summary

• Section Two: Standards and Criteria: Mission & Governances, Faculty, Students, Curriculum & Instruction, Resources, Integrity

• Section Three: Standards and Criteria: Educational Effectiveness

• Section Four: Appendix Section One: Executive Summary

The Executive Summary is a brief (10-15 pages) presentation of the nursing education unit, how it fits within the governing organization, and the extent to which it is in compliance with the NLNAC Standards and Criteria. In addition to offering basic demographic information about the nursing education unit and the governing organization, it puts the nursing program into context within its institution and its community. It offers key evidence demonstrating how the program is in compliance with each of the Standards for accreditation. Finally, it presents an analysis of the nursing education unit’s strengths and areas needing improvement.

Content

a) General Information:

Program type(s) being reviewed, purpose(s) of the visit, date of the visit; name and address of governing organization; name, credentials, and title of chief executive officer of governing organization; name of governing organization accrediting body and accreditation status (date of last review and action); name and address of nursing education unit; name, credentials, and title of nurse administrator of the nursing education

Board of Nursing and approval status (date of last review and action); NLNAC standards and criteria used to prepare the Self-Study Report.

b) Introduction:

Place the nursing program in context by describing how it fits within the nursing education unit (if more than one program is offered) and how the nursing education unit fits within the governing organization and community, student population (number of time and part-time students, by program type) and faculty cohort (number of full-time and part-full-time, by program type).

c) History of the Nursing Education Unit:

Year nursing program(s) was/were established; length of program(s) in credits and time;

history of the nursing education unit; NLNAC accreditation history (include date of initial accreditation); clarification of differentiated education where more than one type of nursing program is offered; number of campuses or satellite sites offering the nursing program(s) and distance education offerings (if appropriate); other nursing accreditation (e.g. Council on Certification of Nurse Anesthetists, the American College of Nurse-Midwives Division of Accreditation).

d) Summary of Standards and Criteria:

An overview reflecting the major findings that demonstrate program compliance with each standard.

e) Analysis and Summary of Strengths and Areas Needing Improvement:

Conclusions with a listing of strengths, areas needing improvement and future plans.

Section Two: Standards I-VI and Criteria 1-21

Section two provides the opportunity for the nursing education unit to demonstrate the extent to which the program(s) being reviewed is in compliance with the Standards: Mission and Governance, Faculty, Students, Curriculum and Instruction, Resources, and Integrity. The Self-Study Report is expected to address each standard and all its criteria addressing using all of the items listed in the ‘Documentation confirms’ subsection within the presentation. The use of the

‘Documentation confirms’ items assures that the program has fully discussed all aspects of each criterion. The Interpretative Guidelines section of this document provides the ‘Documentation confirms’ subsection for each criterion within each standard.

The narrative presentation should be clear and succinct. Tables, graphs, and/or presentations of sections of the nursing education unit’s evaluation plan may also be used as a means to simplify and organize information to demonstrate trends and changes over time. Suggestions of material/indicators and Tables that may facilitate the presentation of each standard are also offered in the Interpretative Guidelines section of the Manual.

Nursing education units submitting one Self-Study Report for a multiple program visit are expected to address each program type offered, beginning with the most basic program and progressing to the most advanced program, demonstrating the extent to which each is meeting each criterion. Faculty are expected to clearly differentiate between the educational programs

Section Three: Standard VII and Criteria 22-23 – Educational Effectiveness

This section is a presentation of the nursing education unit’s plan for systematic evaluation of the unit and the results of the ongoing assessment including the assessment of student academic achievement. In addition to the presentation of the plan, the narrative should address how findings related to all the standards have been used for program maintenance, revision and development. When addressing criterion 23, the discussion should include all four achievement measures.

Section Four: Appendix

The appendix is for supplemental materials that support information discussed within the body of Self-Study Report.

Submitting the Self-Study Report To the Site Visit Teams:

The administrator of the nursing education unit sends one (1) paper copy and one (1) electronic copy (CD or Diskette) of the Self-Study Report, and one (1) copy of the current catalog (paper or CD or Diskette) to each member of the site visit team. These reports must be received by the team six weeks prior to the scheduled date of the site visit.

To NLNAC:

Six (6) paper and six (6) electronic (CD or Diskette) copies of the Self-Study Report and six (6) copies (paper or electronic) of the current catalog, and one copy of the Executive Summary (first section of the Self-Study Report) in a separate unbound folder are to be sent to the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, 61 Broadway, 33^rd Floor, New York, NY 10006. If the nursing education unit is having a multiple program visit, six (6) copies of the items listed above should be sent for each program being reviewed. The materials must be received in New York six weeks prior to the scheduled date of the site visit. The Self-Study Reports and catalogs become the property of NLNAC.

Guidelines for Formatting the Self-Study Report

Page Length: The Self-Study Report should be no more than 200 pages for a single program or 300 pages for a multiple program report, inclusive of the appendix, but excluding the written plan for systemic program evaluation. The report is to be typed front to back on standard letter white paper (8 ½ x 11 inches). The complete systematic program evaluation should be included in the Self-Study Report.

Margins: A margin of at least 1 inch on the top, bottom and right hand side of the page; 1 ½ inches on the left hand side of the page to allow for binding is usual.

Typeface: The type is expected to be dark, clear, and readable with a font size of 11 or 12.

Spacing and Pagination: The text should be 1½ to double-spaced. The pages should be numbered consecutively, inclusive of the whole presentation (text, appendices, etc.).