(18 June 2002 – Ottawa)
On 17 June 2002, the Board of Accreditation of the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN) concluded its candidacy review of the first three collaborative nursing programs according to the agreement with the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO).
Dr. Cynthia Cameron, Chair of the Board of Accreditation, announced “These reviews proceeded according to the national accreditation standards and the Board is confident that the remaining nursing programs in Ontario will be reviewed in time to meet the CNO deadline.”
By January 1, 2005, all new registrants in nursing in Ontario must have a bachelor’s degree in nursing and must have graduated from an approved program. The CNO designated the CASN accreditation program as the approval mechanism for nursing education programs in Ontario. Since 2001, CASN has been working with CNO to ensure that all 13 universities and 22 colleges will undergo preliminary review for quality by the end of 2004.
“CASN has been reviewing the quality of nursing education for almost 20 years and has the experience in peer-review evaluation necessary to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the wide variety of nursing programs and partnerships that are now offered,” says Cameron. “Quality nursing education is essential to produce well-educated, professional nurses for the Canadian health care system.”
The 4 broad Criteria that guide the CASN accreditation process are:
RELEVANCEThe extent to which the mission and goals of a program reflect a response to the major trends in society that impact on the health needs, present and future, of the larger community.
ACCOUNTABILITYThe extent to which the program teaches the student that the primary responsibility in nursing is to the client, that is, community, group, family, person.
RELATEDNESSThe extent to which the components of a program support and build on other parts, thereby promoting or negating the achievements of goals. The components are: 1) curriculum; 2) the teaching of nursing; 3) research, clinical practice, and professional activities; and 4) administration.
UNIQUENESSThe extent to which a program capitalizes on unique characteristics of its resources (faculty, community values, financial support) within its particular settings.
The Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN) is the national voice of nursing education and scholarship.
CASN Accreditation Program for CNO Approval
For additional information, please contact:
E-mail: sanderson@casn.ca
