Entry-to-Practice Nurse Residency Program Application Process

A program begins the accreditation review process by requesting new applicant status. New applicants for accreditation are eligible for a maximum accreditation term of 5 years. New applicant status signifies an affiliation with CCNE; it is not a status of accreditation. CCNE accreditation actions are effective as of the first day of that program’s most recent CCNE on-site evaluation. New applicants should schedule accreditation reviews accordingly.

The written application must include:

  1. A letter of request co-signed by the a) chief executive officer and b) the chief nursing officer/chief nurse executive of the institution that offers the entry-to-practice nurse residency program. In addition to requesting CCNE to begin the accreditation process, the letter should clearly indicate when the program for which accreditation is being sought began enrolling residents, and when the program anticipates hosting the on-site evaluation (e.g., spring or fall review cycle, and the year).
     
  2. Evidence that the parent institution (healthcare organization) is accredited. The institution provides an explanation if it is on probation, warning, show cause, or similar status with the institutional accrediting agency. Refer to the Institutional Accreditation section.
     
  3. Evidence that the partnering academic nursing program(s) is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized nursing accrediting agency or accredited/approved by an authorized regulatory body (e.g., state board of nursing).
     
  4. Payment of the fee for new applicants as indicated in CCNE's fee schedule. To request an invoice, please contact Ben Karnes at bkarnes@ccneaccreditation.org.
     
  5. A completed CCNE Program Information Form.
     
  6. Documentation that briefly summarizes the ability of the program to meet the established accreditation standards. The program should present this information in 10 pages or less. This documentation must include the following:
     
    1. a description of the healthcare organization setting;
       
    2. the mission, goals, and expected outcomes of the entry-to-practice nurse residency program;
       
    3. a description of the entry-to-practice nurse residency program (including any tracks within the program), its curriculum, and the resources available to support the program;
       
    4. eligibility requirements for enrollment in the entry-to-practice nurse residency program;
       
    5. a description of how the entry-to-practice nurse residency program is clearly differentiated from any other nurse residency and/or fellowship programs that are offered by the healthcare organization; and
       
    6. evidence that the entry-to-practice nurse residency program is at least 12 months in length.

A program requesting new applicant status must send its written application to CCNE. A program may submit its application electronically to applicants@ccneaccreditation.org. The application is reviewed by CCNE staff, and, if needed, by the Entry-to-Practice Residency Accreditation Committee (EPRAC).

A request for new applicant status will be accepted at any time, but new applicants should understand that once a program is accepted as a new applicant, the program must proceed toward accreditation. Specifically, a new applicant must submit a complete self-study document and host an on-site evaluation by CCNE within 2 years of the date of acceptance as a new applicant; failure to do so will result in termination of new applicant status.

At any time during new applicant status, but no later than the day prior to the CCNE Board’s decision-making meeting at which the program will be reviewed for accreditation, a program may withdraw its application without prejudice, on written notice to CCNE, and no further review activities will be conducted. There is a 6-month waiting period after an application is withdrawn before a program may initiate a new request for applicant status.

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