Rhode Island Code of Regulations
Title 216 - Department of health
Chapter 40 - Professional licensing and facility regulation
Subchapter 05 - Professional Licensing
Part 3 - Licensing of Nurses and Standards for the Approval of Basic Nursing Education Programs (216-RICR-40-05-3)
Section 216-RICR-40-05-3.11 - Standards Pertaining to Basic Nursing Education Programs
Universal Citation: 216 RI Code of Rules 40 05 3.11
Current through September 18, 2024
3.11.1 Approval Criteria
A. Any school, college, university or
institution or such other facility, including proprietary institutions and/or
entities, in the State of Rhode Island conducting or operating a basic nursing
education program for the purpose of preparing individuals to be responsible
practitioners of nursing and of granting appropriate diplomas or degrees in
nursing (professional or practical nursing) is required to have been duly
authorized to grant such degree or diploma by the appropriate state education
body and/or authority pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws §§
16-40-1 and
16-40-2, and is required
furthermore to receive approval from the Board. Such approval may be granted if
the nursing program meets the statutory and regulatory requirements and
standards of this Part. Approval shall consist of:
1. "Initial approval" which is the official
recognition granted by the Board to a new program upon application by the
controlling institution after survey and evaluation by the Board to determine
that the institution is reasonably ready to admit students based on the
provisions of §3.11.1(A) of this Part; or
2. "Approved program" which is the official
recognition of approval as defined in §
3.2(A)(5) of
this Part, granted by the Board to the basic nursing education program in Rhode
Island which is in compliance with the statutory and regulatory provisions of
§
3.12 of
this Part.
3.11.2 Application for and Issuance of Approval
A. Initial Approval. An
institution desiring to conduct an educational program for the preparation of
individuals for examination and licensure to practice nursing (professional or
practical nursing), shall apply to the Board and submit at least eighteen (18)
months prior to the date it expects to admit the first student, a completed
application. The proposed program shall provide, at a minimum, the following
information to the Board:
1. General
information about the controlling institution as specified in the application,
including organizational and administrative relationships of the controlling
institution and the program;
2.
Governing institution approval and support;
3. Results of a needs assessment, including
identification of potential students and employment opportunities for program
graduates;
4. Type of educational
program proposed;
5. Identification
of sufficient financial and other resources;
6. Evidence of community readiness to accept
and support the program in appropriate ways;
7. Clinical opportunities and availability of
resources, including sources and locations of classrooms, clinical laboratory,
conference rooms and other resources;
8. The philosophy, purposes and accreditation
status of the controlling institution and the major facilities to be used for
clinical laboratory experience;
9.
Availability of qualified faculty;
10. A proposed time line for initiating and
expanding the program, covering a period of at least eighteen (18) months;
and
11. Any other evidence as
deemed necessary and as may be requested by the Board.
B. When an institution has submitted evidence
to the Board that it is prepared to meet the prescribed requirements and the
preliminary procedures have been completed to the satisfaction of the Board,
authorization shall be granted by the Board to the institution to initiate the
basic nursing education program.
C.
At least six (6) months prior to the date of admission of students, a report on
the proposed education program shall be submitted to the Board by the nurse
director which verifies that the following program components and processes
have been completed:
1. Employment of a chief
academic officer and faculty to develop program.
2. Overview of total curriculum:
a. Content;
b. Schedule (course sequence);
c. Course descriptions and
objectives;
d. Contracts for
clinical sites;
e. Program
evaluation plan;
f. Consultation
with the Board; and
g. Course
syllabi for first year with identified timeline for submission of syllabi for
next years.
3.
Establishment of student policies for admission, progression, retention and
graduation.
4. RN programs
preparing students at the diploma and/or associate degree levels shall also
submit evidence of an articulation agreement with a State of Rhode
Island-approved Baccalaureate nursing degree-conferring program.
D. A site visit and an evaluation
to validate compliance with §§3.11.1(A) and 3.12 of this Part of the
new nursing program shall be made by the state director of nursing education
and/or other authorized representative of the Board, who shall submit written
reports of findings to the Board for their evaluation of the nursing program.
This site visit may also include an authorized representative of the Rhode
Island Board of Governors for Higher Education.
E. If, in the opinion of the Board, the
nursing program is found to meet the criteria of this Part, the Board shall
grant an initial approval. Such approval shall extend from the date of Board
action which precedes admission of the first students, and shall terminate on
graduation of the first students. The Board may request periodic reports from
the new program regarding initial program operations before granting official
state approval.
F. Approved
Program. Upon expiration of the initial approval, the Board may grant official
state approval, if the program is found to meet the prescribed standards of
§
3.12 of
this Part. Such approval shall be based on data obtained from site visits
conducted by the state director of nursing education and/or other authorized
representative(s) of the Board and submission of program's ongoing evaluation
plan and data.
G. Evaluation of
Approved Programs
1. No later than January
31st of each year, an approved nursing program shall submit an annual report
for the prior academic year to the Board which addresses, as a minimum, the
criteria established by §3.11.2(G)(2) of this Part. The Board may require
an approved nursing program to submit additional information to determine
compliance with the standards of this Part.
2. It shall be the duty of the Board through
the state director of nursing education and/or other authorized
representative(s) of the Board to conduct periodically, as may be deemed
necessary, an evaluation of all basic nursing education programs in this state
to validate continued compliance with the standards of this Part. Written
reports shall be submitted to the Board for its determination of compliance
with the standards of this Part. The Board shall also monitor and analyze
various sources of information regarding program performance, including, but
not limited to:
a. Annual reports from
accrediting bodies
b. Accreditation
site visit recommendations
c.
Substantive change reports submitted to accreditation bodies
d. Credentials of faculty including adjunct
clinical faculty who are a matriculating graduate student in a graduate nursing
education program.
e. For programs
preparing students at the diploma and/or associate degree levels, a current
articulation agreement with a State of Rhode Island approved nursing education
program authorized to confer a baccalaureate degree with a major in
nursing.
3. If the
National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) score of program graduates who
are submitting to said examination for the first time, falls below the eighty
percent (80%) pass rate for this population, for a period from January 1st
through December 31st of the following year, the Board will notify the program,
requesting a proposal for analyzing the problem. Such proposal shall be
submitted within ninety (90) days of the request. A plan of correction is to be
submitted within nine months of the submission of the proposal.
a. If the program fails to respond to the
request from the Board, or if the plan of correction is found to be deficient,
a hearing would be held in accordance with this Part.
b. If the NCLEX results continue to fall
below the eighty percent (80%) passing standard, the program representatives
may be invited to meet with members of the Board.
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