New Nursing Programs Requesting Approval in Louisiana-(Out of State SON-Undergraduate Program)

New Nursing Programs Requesting Approval in Louisiana-(Out of State SON-Undergraduate Program)

SON: _______________________________________________________________________________DATE_________________

To receive approval by the Board of Nursing for new undergraduate programs in Louisiana by nursing programs whose administrative control is

located in another state, the following criteria shall be submitted, at least 1 year in advance of scheduled initiation of offering, in the form of 3

paper copies and 1 electronic copy of the following :

LAC 46:XLVII.3536.

Approval for Nursing Education Programs whose Administrative Control is Located in Another State

Offering Programs, Courses, and/or Clinical Experience in Louisiana

A. Program of Studies.

To receive approval by the Board for a total program of studies offered in Louisiana by nursing

programs whose administrative control is located in another state, the following criteria shall be met:

1. New programs follow the procedure to establish new programs as specified in §3533.A-E (below)

LAC 46:XLVII.3533 Procedure for Establishing a New Program

A. Step I

students, 3 paper copies and 1 electronic copy of the following :

Item

Location of Evidence

in proposal (include

attachment and page

number

Comments

a. a written notice of intent to establish a new program in nursing stating the purpose and type of program; b. documented evidence of approval from the parent institution to award the appropriate degree or diploma and a copy of the current bulletin or catalog;

c. a report of a feasibility study documenting a need for the program. The study shall include evidence of:

i. nurse manpower studies which validate need for the program as it relates to total state resources and nursing education in the state, and the potential impact on other nursing education programs within a geographical area of 100 miles;

LAC 46:XLVII.3533

A

Step I cont’d.

ii. availability of qualified nurse faculty and support faculty;

iii. adequate academic and clinical facilities to meet the needs of the program;

iv. adequate financial resources for planning, implementing and continuing the program;

v. commitment of administration to support the program; vi. community support;

vii. a proposed time schedule for initiating and expanding the program;

viii. an available pool of potential students.

B. Step II

Item

Location of Evidence in

proposal (include attachment

and page number

Comments

1. If the parent institution is granted sanction by the board to proceed with the development of the program a qualified program head shall be employed a minimum of 12 months prior to the admission of the first class of students. (see §3515); 2. The program head shall have the authority and responsibility to develop:

a. an organizational structure for the program; b. an organizational chart;

c. a constitution and bylaws; facilities and resources. d. administrative policies and procedures;

e. policies for screening and recommending candidates for faculty appointments and for retention and promotion of faculty (see §3515);

f. a budget;

g. a plan for the use of clinical and cooperating agencies; h. a sample contractual agreement with clinical and cooperating agencies;

LAC 46:XLVII.3533

B

Step II cont’d.

3. The program head shall appoint a minimum of four full-time nurse faculty whose background includes: (see §3515);

a. experience in curriculum design;

b. previous teaching experience in a nursing education program of the same academic level as the proposed program; c. clinical nursing practice for a minimum of two years. 4. Faculty shall be appointed at least six months prior to admission of students.

5. The nurse faculty shall develop the proposed program and plan for its implementation. They shall write:

a. mission/philosophy and goals; b. curriculum plan;

c. course objectives; d. course outlines;

e. evaluation plan and methods;

f. admission, progression and graduation criteria; g. policies for protecting students' rights, their safety and welfare, and for guidance and counseling;

h. plan for utilization of clinical facilities and cooperating agencies

6. Upon completion of this phase of the development of the proposed program, the program head may petition the board for an initial survey visit.

LAC 46:XLVII.3533.C. Step III

―

1. Initial approval may be requested after an on-site survey by a representative of the board. 2. After initial approval is granted, students may be admitted to the program.

LAC 46:XLVII.3533.D

. Step IV ―

1. Within the first academic year, a representative of the Board shall conduct an on-site survey of the program.

LAC 46:XLVII.3533.

E. Step V ―

1. Full approval shall be requested after members of the first class of graduates write and receive the results of the first licensing examination. Additionally, an on-site survey shall be requested and upon presentation of evidence that standards of the Board have been met, full approval may be granted to the program.

LAC 46:XLVII.3536.A - continued from page 1

A.2.

Programs must present evidence of compliance with all standard and requirements contained in LAC 46:XLVII. Chapter 35.

Upon full approval, the program will be reviewed under the requirements for continued approval, as specified in §3535.A-M.

B

. Course/Clinical

Offerings.

Item

Location of Evidence

in proposal (include

attachment and page

number)

Comments

1. Approval/Accreditation Requirements. Evidence of approval/accreditation of the nursing program shall be submitted to the board as stipulated below:

a. The nursing program sponsoring the offering

shall hold current approval by the Board of Nursing and/or other appropriate approval bodies in the state in which the parent institution is located.

b. Regional accreditation shall be held by the parent institution.

c. National accreditation recognized by the board is recommended

d. The nursing program sponsoring the

course/clinical offering must provide the Board of Nursing with the following materials for review at least four months prior to the scheduled initiation of the offering:

i. a letter of request for approval to provide the course/clinical offering which indicates the time-frame during which the offering will be conducted, the clinical agency(ies) and the clinical unit(s) to be utilized; ii. a copy of the mission/philosophy and goals; iii. a curriculum pattern which lists all courses required within the program of study;

iv. a course syllabus for the course/clinical

experience(s) to be offered which specifies the related objectives of the offering;

v. current school catalog.

e. Request for preceptorship learning experiences shall include evidence of compliance with §3541.A-J.

2. Coordination with Other Nursing Programs

a. Evidence of meetings or communications with representatives of the clinical agency, the out-of-state nursing program and all Louisiana nursing programs that hold current contractual agreements with the agency shall be submitted to the board.

b. Meetings or communications of respective

representatives shall occur minimally on an annual basis, or on a semester basis as deemed necessary by any involved

party.

c. A "Clinical Facility Survey" form shall be submitted by the program.

3. Students

a. All students shall be in good academic standing in the nursing program.

b. Students shall not be eligible to enroll in a

clinical nursing course based on evidence of grounds for denial of licensure in accordance with R.S. 37:921, §§3403 and 3331.

c. Graduate performance on the licensure

examination (NCLEX-RN) shall be maintained at an 80 percent or higher pass rate for each January-December calendar year. Upon initial request for approval, NCLEX-RN performance by graduates for the past two years shall be submitted to the board.

4. Faculty

a. Each faculty member shall hold a current license to practice as a registered nurse in Louisiana. b. Each faculty member shall hold a minimum of a bachelor of science in nursing degree and a master of science in nursing, or an equivalent master's degree approved by the board, and a minimum of two years of nursing practice in a clinical setting.

c. Faculty shall be present for student supervision while students are assigned to clinical areas unless the students are engaged in a board-approved preceptorship experience.

e. A "Faculty Qualification" form shall be

submitted for each faculty member providing instruction within the state of Louisiana.

5. Approval

a. Course/clinical offerings by out-of-state nursing programs may be approved for a period of two years, at which time program representatives may petition for renewal of approval for each additional two-year period.

b. A written report which provides updated and

current data relevant to the program shall be submitted as a component of the petition for renewal as specified in §3536.B.1-4.

c. Failure to comply with the requirements

established by the board shall result in the immediate withdrawal of the board's approval of course/clinical offerings.

6. Post Approval. A copy of the executed contractual

3541.A-J: Preceptorship Learning Experiences

Item

Location of Evidence

in proposal (include

attachment and page

number

Comments

A. Nurse faculty shall retain the responsibility for

selecting and guiding student learning experiences and the evaluation of student performance with input from preceptors.

B. Preceptor experiences for students shall only occur during the last two academic semesters of a baccalaureate program and during one of the last two semesters of a diploma or associate degree program.

C. The total preceptorship experience shall be limited to a maximum of 25 percent of the total clinical weeks in the program of study. Students required to repeat courses in which preceptorship experiences are conducted due to academic failure or withdrawal are excepted.

D. Preceptors shall be selected according to written criteria jointly developed by faculty, nursing administration in the clinical faculty, and in accordance with guidelines established by the board.

E. A faculty member shall be available to preceptors while students are involved in a preceptorship experience. F. The educational program shall maintain a ratio of not more than 12 students to one faculty member for the preceptorship experience.

G. The faculty member shall confer with each preceptor and student at least once during each daily learning experience.

H. The preceptor shall have at least two years of practice as a R.N. and a minimum of one year in the clinical area in which the preceptorship experience occurs.

I. Preceptors shall hold a minimum of a baccalaureate degree in nursing.