Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 18, September 16, 2024
PURPOSE: This amendment clarifies the impact of
licensure examination pass rates on program approval.
(1) The licensure examination performance of
first-time candidates from each practical nursing program shall be no less than
eighty percent (80%) for each calendar year (January 1 through December
31).
(2) First-time candidates
shall include only those graduates of the program who take the licensure
examination for the first time within one (1) year of graduation.
(3) Initial Program Approval-
(A) Upon graduation of the first student
cohort and reporting of the first official
NCLEX-PN® program pass rate, as reported upon
completion of the fourth quarter of the respective calendar year, the board
will review current licensure examination performance of first-time candidates.
Pursuant to 20 CSR 2200-3.180(1) licensure examination performance for
first-time candidates shall be no less than eighty percent (80%) for each
calendar year (January 1 through December 31);
(B) Should the required eighty percent (80%)
benchmark not be attained and significant deficiencies identified, the board
may apply an immediate moratorium on admissions pursuant to
20 CSR
2200-3.010(7)(A);
(C) The nursing program with a pass rate
lower than eighty percent (80%) shall provide the board with a report analyzing
all aspects of the education program, identifying areas contributing to the
unacceptable pass rate, and plan of correction to resolve the low pass rate.
The plan of correction shall be submitted to the board by the deadline
indicated. The plan of correction shall include:
1. Mission or philosophy of the nursing
program;
2. Program governance as
defined in 20 CSR
2200-3.050(5);
3. General faculty resources and
workload;
4. Student support
services;
5. Program admission,
progression, and graduation policies;
6. Program completion rates for each year of
program operation, as applicable;
7. National Council Licensure Examination for
Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN®) pass rates for each
year of program operation, as applicable;
8. Job placement rates for each year of
program operation, as applicable;
9. Program satisfaction, to include student,
graduate, and employer feedback, as applicable;
10. Number of nursing faculty teaching on
full-time and parttime basis, to include part-time clinical faculty;
11. Use of systematic program evaluation data
related to program planning and improvement; and
12. Measures put in place to restore
instructional quality and integrity of the program;
(D) The program administrator shall appear
before and present to the board or members designated by the board a current
analysis of program effectiveness, problems identified, and plans of
correction. The board may accept the plan of correction and decide to continue
initial approval for a specific period of time determined by the board, may
apply a moratorium on admissions pursuant to
20 CSR
2200-3.010(7)(A), or may withdraw
approval pursuant to section 335.071.3, RSMo;
(E) The program administrator shall appear
before and present to the board or members designated by the board a current
plan of correction, which includes a current analysis of program effectiveness,
resolution of problems identified, and current status of program outcomes for
each year that program pass rates remain lower than eighty percent (80%). The
board may accept the plan of correction and decide to continue initial approval
for a specific period of time determined by the board, may apply a moratorium
on admissions pursuant to
20 CSR
2200-3.010(7)(A), or may withdraw
approval pursuant to section 335.071.3, RSMo, at any time during the initial
approval period as deemed necessary by the board; and
(F) With an NCLEX-PN®
pass rate below eighty percent (80%), a program shall have at minimum two (2)
consecutive calendar years of NCLEX-PN® pass
rates at or above the required eighty percent (80%) to move to full approval.
(4) Full Program
Approval-
(A) The nursing program with a pass
rate lower than eighty percent (80%) shall-
1.
First year-Provide the board with a report analyzing all aspects of the
education program, identifying areas contributing to the unacceptable pass
rate, and plan of correction to resolve low pass rate. The plan of correction
shall be submitted to the board by the deadline indicated. The plan of
correction shall include:
A. Mission or
philosophy of the nursing program;
B. Program governance as defined in
20 CSR
2200-3.050(5);
C. General faculty resources and
workload;
D. Student support
services;
E. Program admission,
progression, and graduation policies;
F. Program completion rates for the last five
(5) years;
G. National Council
Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses
(NCLEX-PN®) pass rates for the last five (5)
years;
H. Job placement rates for
the last five (5) years;
I. Program
satisfaction, to include student, graduate, and employer feedback;
J. Number of nursing faculty teaching on
full-time and parttime basis; to include adjunct clinical faculty and faculty
on contingent approval;
K. Use of
systematic program evaluation data related to program planning and improvement;
and
L. Measures put in place to
restore instructional quality and integrity of the program;
2. Second consecutive year-The
program may be placed on conditional approval status. The program administrator
shall appear before and present to the board or members designated by the board
the current plan of correction, which includes a current analysis of program
effectiveness, problems identified, and plans of correction; and
3. Side-by-side comparison of first-year and
second-year analyses of program effectiveness shall be included. The plan of
correction shall be submitted to the board by the deadline indicated;
and
(B) The program
administrator shall appear before and present to the board or members
designated by the board a current plan of correction, which includes a current
analysis of program effectiveness, resolution of problems identified, and
current status of program outcomes for each year that program pass rates remain
lower than eighty percent (80%).
(5) Conditional Program Approval.
(A) The nursing program placed on conditional approval
shall remain on conditional approval (as per
20 CSR
2200-3.010(6)) until it has two (2)
consecutive years of pass rates of at least eighty percent (80%) or until the
board removes approval pursuant to section 335.071.3., RSMo[; and].
(B) The nursing program shall provide a
side-by-side comparison of plans of correction that includes program analyses
for each consecutive year that NCLEX-PN® pass
rates remain below eighty percent (80%). Each year the program administrator
shall appear before and present to the board or members designated by the board
a current analysis of program effectiveness, problems identified, and plans of
correction. The board may, at any time, apply a moratorium on student
admissions pursuant to
20 CSR
2200-3.010(7)(A).
(C) If, after two (2) years on conditional approval, a
nursing program has not demonstrated consistent measurable progress toward
implementation of the correction plan and
NCLEX-PN® pass rates remain below eighty percent
(80%), the board will withdraw approval pursuant to section 335.071.3.,
RSMo.
*Original authority: 335.036, RSMo 1975, amended 1981,
1985, 1993, 1995, 1999, 2007, 2008, 2011 and 335.071, RSMo 1975, amended 1981,
1999.