This chapter presents the Standards established by the Arkansas State Board of Nursing for nursing education programs that offer courses and learning experiences preparing graduates who are competent to practice nursing safely and who are eligible to take the NCLEX--PN® or RN® examination. These programs are often referred to as a pre-licensure nursing program.
A. NEW PROGRAM LEADING TO LICENSURE
1. Institution Requirement
a. The parent institution, located in an Arkansas jurisdiction, seeking to establish a new masters, baccalaureate, diploma, associate degree or practical nursing program shall meet the following requirements:
(1) Educational institutions or consortiums shall be approved by the Arkansas Division of Higher Education and be accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the United States Secretary of Education [FN1]
(2) Hospitals or hospital consortiums shall be approved by the Arkansas Department of Health and accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations or equivalent accrediting organization.
(3) Each skilled nursing facility in a consortium to provide a practical nursing program shall be approved by the Arkansas Department of Human Services or an equivalent accrediting organization.
(4) Institutions offering a Practical Nurse Pathway Pilot Program shall be approved by the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, in consultation with the Arkansas Division of Higher Education.
(5) The parent institution shall meet the transfer or articulation requirements for courses in Arkansas education institutions.
b. A nursing education program whose parent institution is located outside of Arkansas jurisdiction seeking to establish a new masters, baccalaureate, diploma, associate degree, or practical nursing program shall meet the following requirements:
(1) Education institutions shall be approved by the Arkansas Division of Higher Education and be accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the United States Secretary of Education.
(2) Be approved/accredited by the Board of Nursing or equivalent agency in the state where the Parent institution originates.
(3) The parent institution shall meet the transfer or articulation requirements for courses in Arkansas education institutions.
(4) Maintain the Education Standards required of Arkansas based nursing education programs.
2. Prerequisite Approval
a. An institution seeking to establish a new nursing education program leading to licensure shall submit a letter of intent to the Board at least one year prior to submission of a feasibility study.
b. The institution must submit a current feasibility study, that is signed by the appropriate administrative officers, and includes the following:
(1) Purpose for establishing the program;
(2) Type of educational program to be established;
(3) Relationship to the parent institution, including an organizational chart;
(4) Mission, philosophy, purposes, and accreditation status of the parent institution;
(5) Financial statement of the parent institution for the past two fiscal years;
(6) A proposed budget for each year of the program's implementation;
(7) Documented need and readiness of the community to support the program, including surveys of potential students, employment availability, and potential employers;
(8) Source and numbers of potential students and faculty;
(9) Proposed employee positions including support staff;
(10) Proposed clinical facilities for student experiences, including letters of support from all major facilities expected to be used for full program implementation, including evidence of clinical space for additional students;
(11) Letters of support from approved nursing and health-related programs using the proposed clinical facilities; officers, and includes the following:
(12) Proposed physical facilities including offices, classrooms, technology, library, and laboratories;
(13) Availability of the general education component of the curriculum or letter of agreement, if planned, from another institution; and
(14) A timetable for initiating the program, including required resources, and plans for attaining initial approval.
(15) Other information as requested by the Board.
c. The Board shall review all prerequisite documents and may determine the need for an on-site survey during a regularly scheduled Board meeting.
d. The Board may grant, defer, or deny Prerequisite Approval.
e. If the Board denies Prerequisite Approval the program must wait two years before submitting another proposal.
f. After receiving Prerequisite Approval status, the institution may:
(1) Advertise for students; and
(2) Proceed toward compliance by following the Education Standards for Initial Approval.
3. Initial Approval
a. The institution shall secure a nurse administrator of the program.
b. The nurse administrator shall plan the program and
(1) Assure compliance with Board standards and recommendations;
(2) Address prerequisite recommendations;
(3) Prepare detailed budget;
(4) Employ qualified faculty and support staff;
(5) Prepare a program organizational chart showing lines of authority;
(6) Design the program's sequential curriculum plan;
(7) Develop student, faculty, and support staff policies and procedures;
(8) Attain agency affiliation agreements;
(9) Verify that proposed physical facilities are in place; and
(10) Submit documentation to the Board that Initial Approval Standards are met.
c. A Board representative shall validate readiness of the program to admit students and prepare a report.
d. The Board shall review all documents for Initial Approval during a regularly scheduled Board meeting.
e. The Board may grant, defer or deny Initial Approval.
f. After receiving Initial Approval, the program:
(1) May admit students;
(2) Shall proceed toward compliance by following the Education Standards for Full Approval; and
(3) Shall follow the same standards as those of established programs in terms of annual activities, projects, and reports.
4. Full Approval
a. Before graduation of the first class, a Board representative shall validate compliance with the Standards and prepare a report.
b. The report and documentation shall be reviewed during a regularly scheduled Board meeting.
c. The Board may grant, defer, or deny Full Approval.
B. ESTABLISHED PROGRAM THAT PREPARES GRADUATES FOR PRACTICAL AND REGISTERED NURSING LICENSURE
1. Continued Full Approval
a. A survey shall be periodically conducted to review the program for continued compliance with the Standards. An on-site or paper survey for a program includes:
(1) A newly established program shall have an on-site survey three (3) years after receiving initial Full Approval.
(2) An established professional or practical nurse program that has continued accreditation status with a national nursing accreditation organization and has maintained a NCLEX-RN® or NCLEX-PN® pass rate of at least 75% shall have a paper survey every five (5) years thereafter.
(3) An established professional or practical nurse program that does not meet the criteria for accreditation with a national nursing education accreditation organization or has failed to maintain at least a 75% pass rate on the NCLEX-RN® or NCLEX-PN® shall have an on-site survey visit every five (5) years thereafter.
b. The survey report and documentation shall be submitted to the Board and reviewed during a regularly scheduled Board meeting.
c. A program that is granted full approval shall maintain a NCLEX-RN® or NCLEX-PN® pass rate above 75% for two consecutive year prior to being considered for Continued Full Approval.
d. The Board may grant, defer, or deny Continued Full Approval.
2. Conditional Approval
a. If areas of noncompliance with standards are not corrected in the timeframe established by the Board, the Board shall award Conditional Approval.
b. Information regarding a nursing program requested by the Board shall be provided by the parent institution.
c. A representative of the Board may conduct an on-site survey and complete a written report at the request of the Board.
d. Additional information available to the Board may be considered.
e. The Board shall review all documents during a regularly scheduled Board meeting.
f. The Conditional Approval status shall be in effect for a maximum of one (1) year to correct noncompliance deviations from the standards, unless otherwise determined by the Board.
g. The program and parent institution shall receive written notification of noncompliance deviations and the Board action.
h. The Board may grant continued Conditional Approval, Full Approval, or withdraw the program's approval.
3. Satellite Campus
a. Satellite campus programs shall be approved by the Board prior to implementation.
(1) Continued Full Approval program may submit a proposal for a satellite campus program.
(2) The proposal shall reflect requirements for prerequisite approval of a new program.
b. The Board may grant, defer, or deny approval.
c. All approved satellite campus programs shall maintain the same standards as the parent program.
d. Each satellite campus' data will be included in the program's annual report and five-year survey report.
4. Distant Learning Sites
a. Distant learning sites shall be approved by the Board prior to utilization.
b. Each distant learning site's data shall be included in the program's annual report and five-year survey report.
Credits
Amended Jan. 20, 2013; Dec. 29, 2017; Dec. 29, 2018; July 24, 2020; Feb. 15, 2022; May 15, 2022.
[FN1]
Lack of punctuation so in original.
Current with amendments received through February 15, 2024. Some sections may be more current, see credit for details.
Ark. Admin. Code 007.34.1-6-I, AR ADC 007.34.1-6-I
