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BScN Program Introduction

Baccalaureate Nursing Education Program Accreditation (BScN)

A baccalaureate nursing education program prepares students for a health professional career as a registered nurse. It provides learning opportunities for students to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes they will need initially to enter practice as a registered nurse. It must also develop the academic, interpersonal, and leadership knowledge and abilities graduates need to grow and advance in the profession. In addition, it provides the academic foundation for graduate studies in nursing. The education program must also develop the generic, analytical, reflective, and critical thinking skills expected of all baccalaureate graduates in every academic discipline. Except for the baccalaureate program for diploma-prepared registered nurses, they are entry-to-practice programs and must therefore integrate the entry-level competencies required by the regulatory body in the jurisdiction of the school.  

Want best-in-class? Join the best in the country

Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN) Accreditation helps BScN programs achieve a new level of quality and status that drives both enrollment from high-quality applicants and increased public confidence and support. Join CASN’s nationally accredited programs. Joining this exclusive class elevates BScN program quality to meet national nursing education standards.

More than approval

While the approval process administered by regulatory bodies focuses on patient safety and provincial competencies, CASN Accreditation offers a multi-stage process that involves rigorous assessment against national standards of academic excellence. CASN accredited schools benefit from an evolving national program, based on over 30 years of experience, that ensures nursing education programs are thoughtfully designed, relevant to the current needs of Canadians, innovative, and promote equity, diversity, and inclusion in health care.

Eminence through excellence

As a voluntary but challenging process that reveals strengths in your program and more importantly, areas to focus on, CASN’s Accreditation seal means your program meets high academic standards and your school is engaged in a process of continuous quality improvement.

Accreditation tells nursing students and the public that a program has undergone a rigorous self-evaluation and an independent, objective peer appraisal of the overall educational quality.

Accreditation lets the world know that an institution meets or exceeds quality standards and is accredited by a recognized national agency like the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN).

Do you have a BScN Program?

A baccalaureate nursing education program prepares students for a health professional career as a registered nurse. It provides learning opportunities for students to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes they will need initially to enter practice as a registered nurse.

We would be delighted to help you determine if CASN BScN Program Accreditation is right for you. Please contact Layal Bou Abdo, Managing Director, Accreditation and Evaluation by e-mail at lbou-abdo@casn.ca.

Program Benefits

Benefits of CASN BScN Program Accreditation

  1. Program quality enhancement to national standards
    • Approval from an advisory committee of BScN program experts.
    • More than regulatory approval. Meets national benchmarks.
    • Updates based on evolving health/cultural landscape.
  2. Evaluation, affirmation, and constructive feedback from experts
    • What is done well. Why it is important. What can be improved.
    • Quality enhancing processes, approaches, and resources.
    • Evidence-based requests for greater support.
  3. Membership in an elite national accreditation program
    • Benefits, recognition, status, access to a national network.
    • National and international interprofessional collaboration.
    • Continuous monitoring and improvement.
  4. Optimized program outcomes
    • Increased enrollment of high-quality students.
    • Public confidence, support, and funding.
    • Graduates who are more competent, confident, safe, and retainable.
    • Better nurses. Better health care.

The Value of Accreditation

Achieving Eminence through Excellence

Benefits of CASN Program Accreditation

  • Enhances program quality
  • Promotes national standards
  • Attracts top students
  • Leverages requests for greater support
  • Strengthens curricular decisions
  • Thoughtful and constructive feedback
  • Fosters faculty reflection and analysis
  • Optimizes student outcomes
  • Provides recognition for your hard work and dedications

Looking for more information?
The Value of Accreditation

Visit the Value of Accreditation to learn about the benefits of CASN Program Accreditation.

Learn the Value of Accreditation
Testimonials

Hear directly from the educators and institutions who trust CASN Accreditation to elevate the quality of nursing education across Canada.

What Our Clients Say

How Does the Program Work?

The CASN BScN Accreditation Program take approximately two years to complete, and uses a rigorous, bilingual, peer-reviewed assessment process that follows these steps:

  1. Apply for your accreditation review
    • Application due 1-year prior to review
  2. CASN schedules a date and review team
  3. Prepare your self-study reports
    • Approx. duration: 6 months
  4. Pay your accreditation fee
  5. Prepare your visit schedule
    • Approx. duration: 1 month
  6. CASN holds a virtual pre-review meeting
    • Approx. duration: 1.5 hours
  7. CASN conducts the on-site or virtual visit with you
    • Approx. duration: 5 days
  8. CASN sends you the reviewer report
    • Approx. duration: 3 weeks after the visit
  9. Prepare your school response
    • Approx. duration: 1 month after the visit
  10. Receive your accreditation decision from the CASN Accreditation Bureau
    • Approx. wait time: 3 months

How Much Does CASN Accreditation Cost?

Accreditation fees are set by the CASN Board of Directors and approved by CASN Council. The exact cost is determined at the time of application based on the scope of the review. A rationale for the fees is provided, and schools may appeal if needed.

  • Accreditation Review Application Fee: $550 CAD (due one year prior to review)
  • Accreditation Fee: $7,050 CAD

Fees are for CASN member schools, in CAD, and are subject to change. They are based on one program within a single educational unit conducted in a virtual format. Non-member schools pay an additional accreditation support fee.

For in-person visits, schools are responsible for travel, accommodation, and meal expenses for the review team.

Schools may choose to accredit multiple programs (e.g., BScN, PN, NP, or bridging programs) at the same time, which may reduce overall costs. Fees for international schools are negotiated and outlined in a memorandum of understanding.

For detailed information, please contact Layal Bou Abdo, Managing Director, Accreditation and Evaluation by e-mail at lbou-abdo@casn.ca.

Accredited BScN Programs

Accredited Canadian Baccaulaureate Nursing (BScN) Education Programs

Only baccalaureate nursing programs successful in achieving accreditation status from the CASN Accreditation Bureau, and within the term limit of the accreditation status granted, are eligible to state that they are a CASN-accredited program. Any other use of the term without written CASN approval will result in legal action.

Looking for CASN Accredited BScN programs?

CASN Accredited Programs Directory

Visit the CASN Accredited Programs Directory to identify Baccaulaureate Nursing (BScN)programs are currently accredited by the CASN Accreditation Bureau.

Find Accredited Programs

Is it Time to Get Accredited?

Accreditation Excellence

Let’s talk about your school, your students, where you are in terms of accreditation, and how we can work together to help your program stand out from the crowd!

Call 613-235-3150 x 162 or email Layal Bou Abdo <lbou-abdo@casn.ca> today!

Layal is CASN’s very knowledgeable and helpful Managing Director of Accreditation.

 

Application Process

CASN member schools or partnerships who wish to be reviewed must complete an application form that can be submitted electronically to the accreditation national office. This program information is provided by the accreditation program staff to the reviewer team and includes relevant information such as the name of the school, the type of collaborative partnership it is in, the name of the organization granting the degree, number of sites and other information about the special features of the program etc.

Download the BScN Application Form 

BScN Program Accreditation

Baccalaureate Nursing Education Program Accreditation

The Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing is the national accrediting body for nursing education in Canada. In 1987, the organization accredited its first undergraduate program and today, the accreditation of nursing education programs in Canada has become a core function of CASN.

Accreditation promotes excellence and is recognized worldwide as an important, objective method to assess professional education programs. Accreditation identifies strengths and opportunities for improvement that can guide decision-making. The process provides administrators and faculty with information regarding areas that require development, modification, and/or resources.

The program of accreditation sets forth overarching quality dimensions, standards, descriptors, and key elements against which nursing programs and their institutional units are assessed while also incorporating flexibility regarding the organizational structure and curriculum. This flexibility enables programs to be autonomous in their academic perspectives and responsive to specific regional, social, professional, and institutional contexts.

The CASN accreditation program is built on the original philosophy and approach of previous programs. It undergoes regular review and change. This is consistent with a constant quality improvement approach. Recent changes to the accreditation program accommodate evolution of distance education, collaborative partnerships, and new program models within a new framework and with expanded standards. The following identifies some of CASN accreditation’s milestone dates.

Key BScN Accreditation Program Milestones

  • 1987 – CASN institutes a national, voluntary accreditation process, supported by all members.
  • 1994 – CASN becomes a co-founder of the Association of Accrediting Agencies of Canada, a national association representing accrediting bodies of over 20 professions and other accrediting organizations.
  • 1995 – CASN completes a major review of the accreditation program.
  • 2004 – CASN program documents were created and approved by Council.
  • 2005 – Revisions were made to the program and approved by the Board of Directors.
  • 2006 – Revisions were made to the program and approved by the Board of Directors.
  • 2007 – Revisions were made to the program and approved by the Board of Directors.
  • 2010 – CASN reviews and makes minor edits to the accreditation program.
  • 2013 – Major review and revision of the CASN Accreditation program. CASN’s accreditation program standards were subject to stakeholder consultation. Changes were made to the values of the program and to the standards along with some key elements and their interpretations.
  • 2020 – Major review and revision of the CASN accreditation program. CASN’s accreditation program standards were subject to stakeholder consultation. During the revision that followed, the standards were decreased to six (three each for the educational unit and program). There is a new standard on “Program Outcomes.” Most key elements were retained. In keeping with the recommendations of the national Truth and Reconciliation Commission, there is a new key element for domestic programs related to Indigenous curriculum. The new standards were approved by CASN Council.

Looking for More Information?

For more information on our accreditation program, please contact Layal Bou Abdo <lbou-abdo@casn.ca>.

 

Accreditation Standards & Evidence Requirements for BScN Programs

Quality Standards

The CASN Accreditation Program for BScN Programs is guided by core values and fundamental principles centered around fostering continuous quality improvement and providing quality assurance. Its standards apply to new and existing programs. The standards represent the quality expectations for  BScN Programs and are stated broadly. The  BScN Accreditation Program has six standards.

  1. Leadership, Governance, and Administration
  2. Resources and Environment
  3. Teaching and Learning
  4. Program Framework and Curriculum
  5. Program Outcomes
  6. Program Quality Improvement

Quality Dimensions

Four overarching quality dimensions guided the development of the  BScN Accreditation Program standards and are infused throughout program:

  1. Relevance: The structure, processes, and constituents of the educational unit and the education program under review are pertinent, appropriate, and responsive to the current and emerging needs of society and the profession.
  2. Accountability: The educational unit takes responsibility for the quality of its programs and is answerable in all its relationships. The education program prepares students to be life-long learners who take responsibility for a professional practice that is safe, competent, ethical, and legal.
  3. Relatedness: There is an alignment and inter-connectedness of all components of the educational unit and education program that promotes the achievement of goals and specified outcomes.
  4. Uniqueness: While the structure, processes, and constituents of an educational unit and education are expected to meet standards, how these expectations are met may be of a distinctive or unique character that allows for innovation as well as responsiveness to a particular context.

Download CASN BScN Accreditation Standards and Framework.

Reviewers for BScN Programs

Review Teams

An accreditation review includes an accreditation (on-site or virtual) visit conducted by a team of peer reviewers. The team is led by a team leader who is an experienced reviewer and acts as a first among equals. The number of reviewers on a team depends on the number of educational units and nursing education programs being assessed.

Role of Reviewers

Reviewers are critical to the success and credibility of the accreditation program. They collect and validate data assessing the educational unit and nursing education programs against the CASN Accreditation Standards and provide the CASN Accreditation Bureau with a written report of their findings. Reviewers also provide an oral report of their findings to the school being reviewed at the end of their accreditation visit. CASN reviewers are experienced educators, recommended by the heads of their respective school, and undergo CASN reviewer training. They represent CASN while participating in the accreditation process and sign a form guaranteeing their commitment to the accreditation policies and procedures, including professional and ethical conduct, confidentiality, and respect for the intellectual property of the program.

Selection of Reviewers

CASN solicits nomination of reviewers annually to maintain a pool of qualified, trained, anglophone and francophone reviewers. 

Looking for more information?

Accreditation Reviewers

Our dedicated reviewers play a vital role in upholding the quality and integrity of CASN’s accreditation programs.

Become a Reviewer

 

 

 

Links

CASN Accreditation currently has agreements and/or ongoing projects with the following organizations:

Other Links

AIPHE

Principles and Practices Guide

View the Accreditation of Interprofessional Health Education’s Principles and Practices for Integrating Interprofessional Education Into the Accreditation Standards for Six Health Professions in Canada.