S.C. Code Regs. 91-11 - Criteria for Initial and Continuing Approval of Basic Programs Preparing Registered Nurses
A. Organization
1. The nursing program is either affiliated
with or a part of an institution of higher learning approved by the appropriate
state authority.
(a) An organizational chart
reflects the reporting mechanism of the administrator of the nursing program to
the administrator of the parent institution.
(b) The relationship of the nursing program
to other programs within the parent institution is delineated in the
institution's bylaws or organizational policies.
(c) Institutional policies pertaining to
salary, rank, promotion, tenure, leave, benefits, professional development and
service are applicable to the faculty of the nursing program.
(d) Written statements of philosophy or
mission, purpose and objectives of the nursing program are consistent with
those of the parent institution and are periodically reviewed.
(e) Financial resources are sufficient to
give assurance of stability of the program, educational resources and qualified
administrative and instructional personnel.
(f) Criteria for budget allocation to the
nursing programs are consistent with the criteria utilized for other
programs.
(g) Nursing program
faculty serve on the institution's central councils and committees.
2. The nursing program is
organized with clearly defined authority, responsibility, and channels of
communication.
(a) An organizational chart for
the nursing program is available.
(b) Organizational policies, committee
structure and corresponding minutes reflect how the business of the program is
conducted.
3. The
nursing program is administered by a qualified registered nurse licensed in the
State or another Compact state.
(a) The nurse
administrator meets parent institution requirements for administrative and
faculty appointment.
(b) The nurse
administrator meets Board requirements for nurse faculty appointment.
(c) A curriculum vitae indicates appropriate
preparation and experience for administration.
(d) The nurse administrator is employed full
time with adequate time designated for administrative
responsibilities.
4. The
position responsibilities of the nursing education program administrator are
congruent in scope, authority and accountability with other administrative
positions of the same level and are consistent with general institutional
policies. There is a written position description that reflects the authority
and responsibility for:
(a) Leadership within
the faculty for the development and implementation of the curriculum;
(b) Creation and maintenance of an
environment conducive to teaching and learning;
(c) Liaison with the central administration
and other units of the parent institution;
(d) Participating in the preparation and
administration of the budget;
(e)
Facilitation of faculty development and performance review;
(f) Recommendation of faculty for
appointment, promotion, tenure, and retention;
(g) Maintenance of relationships with central
administration, other program administrators, clinical agencies, and
appropriate state, regional, and national agencies.
B. Students
Student admission, readmission, progression and graduation are governed by the established policies and procedures of the parent institution and the nursing program.
1. The
catalog and/or student handbooks of the institution and nursing program
includes the admission, readmission, progression and graduation
criteria.
2. Student admission,
readmission, progression and graduation criteria policies are implemented and
periodically reviewed.
3. The
nursing program has written rationale for policies for admission, readmission,
progression and graduation that differ from the parent institution.
C. Faculty
1. The number of qualified faculty is
adequate to meet the goals and objectives of the nursing program.
(a) The maximum ratio of faculty to students
in an acute inpatient setting where students are providing direct patient care
is one faculty member to eight students (1:8). If the parent institution and
the clinical affiliate determine that the safety of patients, nursing faculty
and students can be insured, the maximum acceptable ratio in acute inpatient
settings is no greater than one faculty to ten students (1:10).
(b) The maximum ratio of faculty to students
in non-acute clinical settings where students are providing direct patient care
is one faculty member to ten students (1:10).
(c) The maximum ratio of faculty to students
in preceptored clinical learning experiences is one faculty to fifteen students
(1:15).
(d) The majority of the
faculty fulfill the full-time faculty role as defined by the parent institution
and nursing program.
2.
The academic and experience qualifications of the faculty are appropriate to
support the goals and objectives of the nursing education program. Faculty
appointed prior to June 30, 1992 and serving continuously since that time are
recognized as meeting the academic and experience requirements of this section.
(a) All full and part-time faculty in the
nursing program meet the parent institution's requirements for faculty
appointment.
(b) Faculty teaching
nursing courses must meet all the following requirements:
(1) hold an unencumbered active license as a
registered nurse in South Carolina or another Compact state;
(2) have a minimum of a Master's (or higher)
degree in nursing; and
(3) have a
minimum of two years of clinical experience as a registered or advanced
practice nurse related to the primary area of responsibility.
(c) All non-nursing faculty
teaching courses under the nursing designation have (1) a Doctor's or Master's
degree in the teaching discipline or (2) Doctor's or Master's degree with a
concentration in the teaching discipline (a minimum of 18 graduate credit hours
in the teaching discipline).
3. Faculty personnel policies for the nursing
program are written and, consistent with those of the parent institution and
implemented.
(a) Faculty personnel policies
for the nursing program include criteria for the following:
(1) faculty qualifications;
(2) faculty rights and
responsibilities;
(3) faculty
appointment, reappointment, promotion and tenure requirements;
(4) faculty workload;
(5) continuing faculty professional
development.
(b) There
is a written rationale for faculty personnel policies or practices that differs
from those of the parent institution.
4. The full time equivalent (FTE) of
qualified clinical instructors will not exceed 30 percent of the full time
equivalent faculty (FTE) filled positions for the nursing program.
(a) The clinical instructor must meet all the
following:
(1) hold an unencumbered active
license as a registered nurse in South Carolina or another Compact state;
and
(2) hold a minimum of a
Bachelor of Science degree in nursing; and
(3) have a minimum of two years of clinical
experience related to the area of assigned clinical teaching
responsibilities.
(b)
The clinical instructor functions under the supervision of a nursing faculty
member who has overall course responsibility.
(c) The clinical instructor's
responsibilities and guidelines for supervision are in writing.
5. The qualifications of clinical
preceptors are appropriate to support the goals and objectives of the nursing
program.
(a) The preceptor will be employed by
the clinical agency in which the preceptored experience occurs.
(b) The preceptor will be currently licensed
as a registered nurse according to the laws of the state in which
employed.
(c) The preceptor will
have a minimum of two years of clinical experience and demonstrated
competencies related to the area of assigned clinical teaching
responsibilities.
(d) Preceptors
meet the nursing program's requirements for preceptor appointment.
(e) Appointments are determined
collaboratively between administration of the nursing program and nursing
administration of the clinical agency.
(f) The preceptor shall complete an
orientation to the preceptor role and course objectives.
6. The nursing program and clinical agency
policies governing the role and responsibilities of clinical preceptors are
written and consistent.
(a) The preceptor will
be assigned no more than two students for any preceptor experience.
(b) Preceptors will function according to
course guidelines/criteria developed by nurse faculty. Faculty must be
available in person or by telecommunication for consultation.
(c) The preceptor will have a written
description of preceptor responsibilities.
(d) The preceptor will be physically present
in the agency and available to the student at all times during the clinical
assignment.
D. Support Services
1. Support services and facilities are
appropriate to support the goals and objectives of the nursing program.
(a) Learning resources include print, on-line
and media materials which support the program of learning and are readily
available to students and faculty.
(b) The physical environment is conducive to
the use of the resources.
(c) The
library has provisions to obtain in a timely manner those resources not
available in the library.
(d)
Policies and procedures allow for faculty participation in evaluation,
selection and deletion of library holdings and other learning
resources.
(e) Documentation
reflects periodic reviews of learning resources by faculty.
2. Student services provided by
the parent institution are available to nursing students and institutional
documents reflect college-wide policies/procedures regarding student
services.
3. The institution
provides for a system, including policies and procedures, to maintain student
records in a manner that is designed to prevent unauthorized access, use, loss,
and/or destruction.
4. A system of
permanent and cumulative records is maintained for each nursing student and
each graduate commensurate with the policies of the parent institution.
(a) Policies and procedures governing
compilation and use of student records are written and current.
(b) Permanent and cumulative records are
complete.
(c) Permanent and
cumulative records are accessible.
5. Secretarial/support services are
sufficient to meet needs of nursing program, administrator and
faculty.
E. Facilities
1. The facilities are adequate to meet the
goals and objectives of the nursing program. The following facilities are
provided:
(a) offices for administration,
faculty and staff;
(b) classrooms,
laboratories and conference rooms for nursing and nursing related
courses;
(c) storage space for
supplies, equipment and instructional materials;
(d) skills laboratory sufficient in size and
equipment to meet the needs of students.
2. The nursing program has written agreements
with all affiliating agencies used to achieve program objectives.
(a) Agreements are jointly developed with the
affiliating agency and are current.
(b) Agreements are developed with clinical
facilities that provide diverse clinical experiences with sufficient number and
variety of patients to meet educational objectives.
(c) Affiliating agencies are licensed by the
appropriate state or federal authorities.
3. Agreements reflect that faculty retain
responsibility for student learning experiences.
F. Curriculum
1. The nursing education curriculum is
logically organized and internally consistent.
(a) Curriculum requirements are
published.
(b) The curriculum
reflects the philosophy, conceptual framework, goals, and objectives of the
nursing program.
(c) There is a
rationale for the organization and sequencing of learning experiences for the
progressive development of knowledge and skills.
(d) Preceptored learning experiences may be
used after the student has successfully completed a fundamentals of nursing
course and a medical/surgical nursing course as determined by the program nurse
administrator.
(e) There is a
rationale for the allocation of credit for clinical and non-clinical courses
and for the ratio of nursing to non-nursing courses in the
curriculum.
(f) There is rationale
for the selection, organization and sequencing of the general education
courses.
2. The
curriculum is developed, implemented and evaluated by faculty with opportunity
for input from students in a manner consistent with the policies of the parent
institution.
(a) The process for curriculum
decision making is clearly defined for the parent institution and the nursing
program.
(b) There is documentation
of student input into faculty decisions in curriculum matters.
3. The curriculum reflects and is
consistent with the knowledge, skills, and abilities that are required for the
practice of nursing.
(a) The curriculum
includes learning experiences in the promotion, maintenance and restoration of
health for clients across the life span.
(b) The curriculum provides learning
experiences in the application of the nursing process, which includes the
assessment and nursing diagnosis of human responses to actual or potential
health problems and the planning, intervention and evaluation of care as
utilized in nursing practice.
(c)
The curriculum includes biophysical and social science principles basic to
nursing practice.
(d) The
curriculum includes the scope of practice for the registered nurse in South
Carolina.
G.
Program Evaluation
1. A written plan for the
periodic evaluation of all components of the nursing program is developed and
implemented.
(a) Written evaluations for the
nursing education administrator(s), faculty and students are on file.
(b) Written evaluations from program
graduates and their employers are on file.
(c) Records, reports and/or meeting minutes
reflect evaluation of the curriculum and instruction.
(d) There is evidence that faculty and
students participate in the evaluation of all major program components to
include: clinical and campus facilities; learning resources and services; and
instructional materials and equipment.
2. Findings from the evaluation of all
components of the nursing program serve as the basis for program
changes.
3. The nursing program
prepares graduates that demonstrate competent practice at entry into nursing
practice. The program's pass rate for first time takers of the National Council
Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) will be maintained
annually at no greater than 5 percent below the national pass rate.
Notes
State regulations are updated quarterly; we currently have two versions available. Below is a comparison between our most recent version and the prior quarterly release. More comparison features will be added as we have more versions to compare.
No prior version found.