Current through September 17, 2024
The program must have a curriculum that enables students to
develop the nursing knowledge, skills and abilities necessary for the level of
licensure. An organized pattern, developed by the nurse faculty for the
continuity and sequence of courses and related concurrent clinical instruction,
must provide for progression of knowledge, skills, abilities, and attitudes of
nursing students. Curricula will be revised as necessary to maintain a program
that reflects advances in health care and its delivery.
009.01
STANDARDS.
The curriculum, as defined by nursing education, professional and practice
standards, must include:
(A) Experiences that
promote the development and subsequent demonstration of evidence-based clinical
judgment, skill in clinical management, and the professional commitment to
collaborate in continuously improving the quality and safety of the healthcare
system for patients.
(B)
Evidence-based learning experiences and methods of instruction, including
distance education methods, consistent with the written curriculum
plan.
(C) Coursework including, but
not limited to:
(i) Content in the biological,
physical, social and behavioral sciences to provide a foundation for safe and
effective nursing practice;
(ii)
Content regarding professional responsibilities, scope of practice, legal and
ethical issues, history and trends in nursing and health care; and
(iii) Didactic content and supervised
clinical experience in the prevention of illness and the promotion,
restoration, and maintenance of health in patients across the lifespan and from
diverse cultural, ethnic, social and economic backgrounds. Patient experiences
must occur in a variety of clinical settings and must include:
(1) Integrating patient safety principles
throughout the didactic and clinical coursework;
(2) Using information technology to
communicate and manage knowledge, mitigate error, and support decision
making;
(3) Employing
evidence-based practice to integrate best research with clinical expertise and
client values for optimal care, including skills to identify and apply best
practices to nursing care;
(4)
Providing client-centered, culturally competent care by:
(a) Respecting client differences, values,
preferences and expressed needs;
(b) Involving clients in decision-making and
care management;
(c) Coordinating
and managing care transitions or continuous care; and
(d) Explaining appropriate and accessible
interventions to patients and populations that may positively affect their
ability to achieve healthy lifestyles;
(5) Collaborating with interdisciplinary
teams to foster open communication, mutual respect, and shared decision making
in order to achieve quality patient care; and
(6) Participating in quality improvement
processes to measure client outcomes, identify hazards and errors, and develop
changes in processes of client care.
009.02
ADDITIONAL CURRICULUM
REQUIREMENTS. All nursing programs must meet the following
additional curriculum requirements:
(A)
Experiences which promote the development of leadership and management skills
and professional socialization consistent with the level of licensure;
and
(B) Delivery of instruction by
distance education methods must be consistent with the program curriculum plan
and enable students to meet the goals, competencies and objectives of the
educational program and standards of the Board.
009.03
LEARNING
EXPERIENCES. The curriculum must provide for learning experiences
that prepare the student to identify and intervene in actual or potential
health problems of individuals, families, or groups. Nursing actions must be
directed toward maintaining or improving health status, based on the nursing
assessment and through the execution of nursing care or therapeutic regimens
prescribed by any person lawfully authorized to prescribe. Learning
experiences, methods of instruction, and evaluation of student accomplishment
will:
(A) Be planned, implemented and
evaluated by the faculty with provisions for student input;
(B) Reflect the organizing framework and
objectives of the nursing education program;
(C) Be organized logically and sequenced
appropriately;
(D) Provide
supervised clinical experience to prepare the student for the safe practice of
nursing and shall will include development of skills in direct patient care;
making clinical judgments; care and management of both individuals and groups
of patients across the lifespan and delegation to and supervision of, as
appropriate to level of education, other healthcare providers;
(E) Provide clinical hours comparable to
those provided by an approved program of equivalent size and program type or,
in the case of no equivalent program, clinical hours scaled relative to an
approved program;
(F) Provide
clinical experiences such as observation, simulation, staff nurse supported,
dedicated education unit, adjunct or preceptor, that are supervised by
qualified faculty;
(G) Measure the
students' competencies based on the students' demonstration of care management
and decision making skills when providing patient care in a variety of clinical
situations and care settings; and
(H) Be comprised of sufficient hours to meet
these standards, be supervised by educationally and clinically qualified
faculty, and ensure students' ability to practice at an entry level.
009.04
SYLLABI. Current syllabi must be available at the
educational institution.
009.05
CHALLENGE PROCEDURE. Programs permitting students to
challenge selected courses for credit must have written policies governing the
challenge procedure.
009.06
CURRICULUM REVISIONS. Consultation from the Board is
available when curriculum revisions are being considered. Plans for major
curriculum revisions must be submitted to the Board for approval 3 months
before they are implemented and must include the rationale and indicate the
present plan as well as the proposed change and expected outcome. Major
curriculum changes include:
(A) Changes in
program outcomes which alter the present curriculum;
(B) Changes in the length of the
program;
(C) Changes in the number
of hours of didactic instruction or clinical instruction;
(D) Reorganization of the entire curriculum;
and
(E) Additions, deletions, and
substitutions of support courses or nursing electives.
