Click on the tabs to view the corresponding FAQs.
General FAQs
Q. Do I need a login and password to access the surveys?
A. No, to access your survey click the link in the email from AACN that invited you to participate in the survey. These are personal links unique to you and your survey.
Q. Do I have to complete the survey at once or can I leave it and come back later?
A. You can leave the survey and come back later. Please ensure that you have fully completed a section before exiting the survey; if you exit the survey without completing the entire section, the data will be lost. Completed sections will show a check mark next to them in the Table of Contents. To access your in-progress survey, click the link in the email from AACN that invited you to participate in the survey. These are personal links unique to you and your survey.
Q. I’ve completed part of the survey in my office. Can I go back home and continue from where I stopped at?
A. Yes. Please ensure that you have fully completed a section before exiting the survey; if you exit the survey without completing the entire section, the data will be lost. Completed sections will show a check mark next to them in the Table of Contents. If you open the survey on different browsers or devices at the same time, data may be overwritten and lost, so be sure to close the survey in one location before opening it in another. To access your in-progress survey, click the link in the email from AACN that invited you to participate in the survey. These are personal links unique to you and your survey.
Q. Do I have to complete the three surveys in order?
A. No, you can complete the Enrollment and Graduation, Faculty, and Dean survey in any order. The Enrollment and Graduation section does have portions that need to be completed in order.
Q. Do I have to complete all three surveys?
A. Yes, if your institution is accredited by CCNE you must complete all three surveys: Enrollment and Graduation, Faculty, and Dean. See the CCNE accredited school reporting requirements on the Annual Survey Information Hub.
Q. Will the surveys ask for sensitive or confidential information?
A. The Enrollment and Graduation links will not ask for any confidential information. The Dean and Faculty links should only be shared with staff that have access to your dean/chief nursing administrator and faculty salary information and sensitive demographic information, such as age.
Q. Will I be able to change my answers once I submit the survey?
A. No. However, if you need to make corrections to your response, please contact datarequest@aacnursing.org.
Q. Will I be able to receive a PDF copy of my survey to keep for my records?
A. Yes. Once you submit the survey, you will be given the option to download a PDF. If you are unable to or experience any difficulties, please contact datarequest@aacnursing.org and a PDF version of your submission can be sent to you via email.
Enrollment & Graduations Survey
Q. Do I have to complete the Enrollment and Graduation survey in order?
A. The Institutional Data and Types of Nursing Programs section must be completed first. Once these are submitted, you may move around from section to section; however, a section must be completed before you move to another. Completed sections will show a check mark next to them in the Table of Contents. Please be careful not to click forward into a new section unless you are ready to complete it.
Q. We have different faculty members in charge of different programs. Can multiple people work on the survey at the same time?
A. We strongly advise against multiple people logging into the survey at the same time. If more than one person is editing the survey at the same time, data may be overwritten, improperly saved, or lost. We recommend that each individual review the survey PDF and compile the data necessary to complete their section prior to logging into the survey. Each person may then take turns logging into the survey and entering the data for their program, or the data from each person may be handed over to one individual who enters all the data. PDFs of the survey are available on the Annual Survey Information Hub on aacnnursing.org.
Q. I made a mistake on the previous page of the survey. Can I go back and update the answer?
A. Yes. Please click the back arrow at the bottom of the current page and change your answer. If you go back after initially completing a section and edit a portion of the section, be sure to advance through the entire section so that the data saves. Prior to submitting the entire survey, you may go back into any previously completed section of the survey and make changes as needed.
Faculty Survey
Q. How do I get access to my previous year faculty data?
A. The previous year faculty data was sent in the email from AACN that invited you to participate in the survey. If you did not receive a link to your previous responses or are unable to access them via the provided link, please contact datarequest@aacnursing.org.
Q. How do I update my previous year’s faculty data?
A. Edit the CSV file of your previous year’s responses provided to you via email. Update the salary and other faculty information as relevant (a change in rank, a change in tenure status, etc.) using the AACN Annual Survey Faculty Variable Values spreadsheet. This spreadsheet provides a list of the standard variable values.
Q. How do I understand the variables in the faculty spreadsheet?
A. Download the variables key that provides information on the variables and values.
Dean Survey
Q. There is not a dean of nursing at our institution, who should be entered for this survey?
A. For purposes of uniformity, the term "Dean" refers to the person in charge of the school/college/department/program/division of nursing.
Q. The dean position is currently vacant, what should be done to complete this survey?
A. Information about the acting/interim dean and the dean vacancy will be needed to complete this survey. If the person with the title of Acting or Interim Dean/Chair/Director/Head/Coordinator should be entered in the Faculty survey with the Administrative Title of "Interim Dean," and also recorded within the dean survey after the Interim or Acting title is indicated. The survey will also ask about the dean vacancy, if the position is posted and the salary range.