RELATES TO:
KRS 314.011(5),
(9),
314.111(1),
(2), (3),
314.131(2)
NECESSITY, FUNCTION, AND CONFORMITY:
KRS
314.111 requires the board to review schools,
approve qualified schools, and, if appropriate, withdraw approval for schools
of nursing.
KRS
314.131(1) authorizes the
board to promulgate administrative regulations necessary to implement KRS
Chapter 314.This administrative regulation establishes the standards for the
development and approval of programs that prepare graduates for admission to
the licensure examination and to facilitate endorsement of licensure status to
other states.
Section 1. Definition.
"Program of nursing" means the educational unit that prepares a person for
licensure as a registered or licensed practical nurse.
Section 2. Establishment of a Program of
Nursing.
(1) The governing institution may
receive consultation from the board prior to establishing a program of
nursing.
(2) The governing
institution that desires to establish and conduct the program of nursing shall
be accredited as established in
201 KAR 20:260, Section
2.
(3) The governing institution
shall consider each campus as a separate program of nursing.
Section 3. Letter of Intent.
(1) The governing institution shall submit to
the board a letter of intent to establish a prelicensure program of nursing and
the fee required by
201 KAR
20:240.
(2) The letter of intent shall be completed
under the direction or consultation of a registered nurse who meets the
qualifications of a program administrator as established in
201
KAR 20:310.
(3) The letter of intent shall include:
(a) Approval from the governing body of the
institution proposing the program of nursing or other empowered approval bodies
as applicable;
(b) The results of a
feasibility study that includes the following information related to the need
for the program of nursing:
1. Nursing
workforce supply and demand data from the past year for the area within a fifty
(50) mile radius and projected supply and demand; and
2. A description of the applicant pool that
is being targeted and how this population will be reached;
(c) Evidence that an introductory letter has
been sent to all program of nursing administrators within a fifty (50) mile
radius;
(d) Documentation from
cooperating healthcare agencies within a fifty (50) mile radius that they will
provide support for the creation of the program of nursing. This documentation
shall include evidence of the agencies' intention to contribute to the
achievement of the clinical objectives of the program;
(e) General information about the governing
institution including the mission, ownership, method of financing,
accreditation, enrollment, area served, and institutional faculty
qualifications and resources;
(f) A
timeline for the hiring of a full time program administrator, admission of
students, and projected graduation of the first class;
(g) Evidence of a sound financial base and
demonstrated financial stability available for planning, implementing, and
maintaining the proposed program of nursing;
(h) A copy of the curriculum vitae of the
registered nurse involved in the planning; and
(i) Description and rationale for the
proposed type of program of nursing, including the establishment of an
enrollment baseline as required by
201 KAR 20:260, Section
3(1).
(4)
(a) If concerns are raised about the need for
the program or about the ability of the program to obtain appropriate clinical
sites, a hearing shall be held before the board's education committee to act
upon the letter of intent.
(b) At
the conclusion of the hearing, the committee shall recommend to the board
whether or not to approve the letter of intent.
(c) If the letter of intent is approved by
the board, the governing institution shall be notified in writing that it may
move to the proposal phase. The governing institution shall appoint a qualified
program administrator and provide appropriate resources, consultants, and
faculty to develop the proposed program plan. The proposal shall be submitted
within one (1) year of the date of the approval of the letter of intent or the
letter of intent shall expire.
Section 4. Proposal Phase.
(1) A completed program proposal shall be
submitted to the board by the governing institution for approval.
(2) The program shall not be announced,
advertised, or students admitted to the program of nursing until the proposal
has been approved and developmental status has been granted by the
board.
(3) The program proposal
shall include:
(a) Philosophy, mission, and
learning outcomes of the governing institution;
(b) An organizational chart of the governing
institution and written plan, which describes the organization of the program
of nursing and its relationship to the institution;
(c) Proposed philosophy, mission, and
learning outcomes for the proposed program;
(d) Curriculum design including proposed
courses, description, sequence and credit hours delineating those credits
assigned to theory and clinical;
(e) Student recruitment plan and the
enrollment baseline as set out in
201 KAR 20:260, Section
3(1);
(f) A five (5) year plan for
recruiting and retaining qualified nurse faculty;
(g) A proposed job description for the
program administrator reflecting authority and responsibility;
(h) A description of faculty offices,
classrooms, clinical skills laboratory, library facilities, conference rooms,
and learning resources;
(i) A
description of support services for students, to include provision of health
services or evidence of an emergency plan for care, academic advisement,
student services, mechanism for obtaining learning resources, and financial
aid;
(j) Availability and
willingness of accredited agencies to provide clinical experiences across the
curriculum. This information shall include the:
1. A list of clinical agencies and hours
available for clinical experience;
2. Number of students each agency can
accept;
3. Clinical experience that
will be available from each agency;
4. Other nursing programs that utilize this
agency; and
5. Plan to avoid
displacement of students from existing programs;
(k) Policies and procedures for student
admission to the program of nursing and progression, including the plan to
retain students so as to maintain a low attrition rate;
(l) Availability of clerical assistance and
support staff as set out in
201 KAR 20:260, Section
2(6);
(m) A general plan for an
on-going, research based planning and evaluation process that incorporates a
systematic review of the program that results in continuing improvement;
and
(n) A description of financial
resources to support the program including a budget for the first three (3)
years with projected revenues and expenditures and the amount of resources
going to institutions or organizations for contractual or support
services.
(4) The
program of nursing may meet with the board staff to clarify, verify, and
amplify materials included in the program proposal.
(5) The governing institution shall be
notified in writing of action taken by the board on the proposal.
(a) If the board determines that all
requirements have been met, the program shall be granted developmental
status.
(b) The board, in
collaboration with the program, shall determine an opening date.
Section 5.
Developmental Status.
(1) Students may be
admitted after developmental status is granted.
(2) Employment of program administrator and
faculty.
(a) The program administrator shall
be the first faculty member employed, and shall have assumed full time
responsibilities for the program prior to opening.
(b) The faculty as established in
201
KAR 20:310 shall be employed in sufficient numbers to
prepare for the development of the curriculum component of the
program.
(3) Any
deviation from the initial curriculum plan approved within the proposal shall
be approved by the board before the first class begins course
requirements.
(4) Written contracts
for use of clinical facilities shall be executed prior to admission to the
first nursing course.
(5) The
program of nursing shall submit semi-annual progress and evaluation reports or
other reports as requested by the board to demonstrate implementation of the
approved proposal until the first class graduates.
(6) Site visits shall be conducted by the
board as necessary.
(7)
Developmental status may be withdrawn if:
(a)
A proposed program does not comply with
201 KAR 20:260 through
360;
(b) A class is not enrolled
within eighteen (18) months of the date the board granted developmental status;
or
(c) The governing institution
fails to submit board required reports within the designated time
period.
(8) The
governing institution shall be notified in writing of the intent to withdraw
developmental status. The governing institution may request reconsideration by
the board. The request shall be in writing and sent no more than thirty (30)
days from the date of the notification.
Section 6. Initial Status and Program
Approval.
(1) The status of the program shall
move automatically from developmental status to initial status upon admission
of the first class.
(2) It shall be
the responsibility of the program of nursing to notify the board of the
admission of the first class.
(3)
The program shall notify the board in writing thirty (30) days prior to the
graduation of the first class.
(4)
Eligibility for program approval occurs after the graduation of the first
class. Within sixty (60) days after graduation of the first class, the faculty
shall submit a written report that:
(a)
Evaluates the implementation of the program of nursing compared to the approved
proposal; and
(b) Addresses
compliance with the standards set by
201 KAR 20:260 through
360.
(5) The decision to
grant or deny program approval shall be based on review of the report submitted
by the program of nursing and a site visit report by a representative of the
board.
(6) If program approval is
denied, the applicant may request a hearing pursuant to KRS Chapter
13B.
Section 7. Initial
Status and National Nursing Accrediting Body.
(1) A program of nursing shall obtain and
maintain accreditation by a national nursing accrediting body that includes:
(a) The Accreditation Commission for
Education in Nursing (ACEN);
(b)
The Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (CNEA);
(c) The Commission on Collegiate Nursing
Education (CCNE); or
(d) Any other
national nursing accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of
Education.
(2) The
program of nursing that has been approved for initial status by the board shall
submit evidence to the board that it has applied for accreditation. Evidence
shall be submitted within ninety (90) days of achieving initial
status.
(3) The program of nursing
shall submit a copy of all correspondence to and from the national nursing
accrediting body to the board within thirty (30) days of submission or receipt
of the correspondence.
(4) The
program of nursing shall obtain candidacy status from a national nursing
accrediting body within three (3) years of achieving initial status. The
program of nursing shall obtain full accreditation from a national nursing
accrediting body within four (4) years of achieving initial status.
(5) A program of nursing that fails to obtain
or maintain accreditation from a national nursing accrediting body may have its
approval withdrawn by the board pursuant to
201
KAR 20:360, Section 7.