Ariz. Admin. Code § 4-19-207

Current through Register Vol. 30, No. 45, November 8, 2024

Section R4-19-207 - [Effective until 12/14/2024] New Programs; Proposal Approval; Provisional Approval

A. At a minimum of one year before establishing a nursing program, a parent institution shall submit to the Board an electronic copy of an application for proposal approval. The parent institution shall ensure that the proposal application was written by or under the direction of a registered nurse who meets the nursing program administrator requirements of R4-19-203(A) and includes the following information and documentation:

1. Name and address of the parent institution;

2. Statement of intent to establish a nursing program, including the academic and licensure level of the program; and:

a. Organizational structure of the educational institution documenting the relationship of the nursing program within the institution and the role of the nursing program administrator consistent with R4-19-201 and R4-19-203;

b. Evidence of institutional accreditation consistent with R4-19-201 and post-secondary approval, if applicable. The institution shall provide the most recent full reports including findings and recommendations of the applicable accrediting organization or approval agency. The Board may request additional accreditation or approval evidence.

c. Curriculum development documentation to include:

i. Student-centered outcomes for the program;

ii. A plan that identifies the prescribed course sequencing and time required; and

iii. Identification of established professional standards, guidelines or competencies upon which the curriculum will be based;

d. Name, qualifications, and job description of a nursing program administrator who meets the requirements of R4-19-203 and availability and job description of faculty who meet qualifications of R4-19-204;

e. Number of budgeted clinical and didactic faculty positions from the time of the first admission to graduation of the first class;

f. Evidence that the program has secured clinical sites for its projected enrollment that meet the requirements of R4-19-206;

g. Anticipated student enrollment per session and annually;

h. Documentation of planning for adequate academic facilities and secretarial and support staff to support the nursing program consistent with the requirements of R4-19-202;

i. Evidence of adequate program financial resources;

j. Tentative time schedule for planning and initiating the nursing program including faculty hiring, entry date and size of student cohorts, and obtaining and utilizing clinical placements from the expected date of proposal approval to graduation of the first cohort.

k. For a parent institution that has an existing nursing program in one or more U.S. jurisdictions including Arizona, evidence for each of its nursing programs that includes:

i. Program approval in good standing with no order entered in this or any other jurisdiction, which if entered by this state would constitute the denial of a license or a disciplinary action within the meaning of A.R.S. § 32-1601, subsection 12, paragraphs (d), (e), (f), (g), (h); and

ii. An NCLEX pass rate of at least 80% for the 12 months preceding the current application; or

iii. The parent institution successfully demonstrates to the Board that:

(1) The program is in the best interests of the public. The Board's consideration of what is in the best interests of the public shall include, but is not limited to, the geographic need for a new nursing program, the populations that would be served by the program, adequate program oversight, institutional financial security, adequacy of the program proposal, and a demonstrated history of cooperation with accrediting and regulatory bodies; and

(2) The program will be capable of meeting all other applicable requirements for the establishment of a nursing program.

B. The Board shall grant proposal approval to any parent institution that meets the requirements of subsection (A) if the Board deems that such approval is in the best interests of the public. Proposal approval expires one year from the date of Board issuance.

C. A parent institution that is denied proposal approval may request a hearing by filing a written request with the Board within 30 days of service of the Board's order denying the application for proposal approval. Hearings shall be conducted in accordance with A.R.S. Title 41, Chapter 6, Article 10 and 4 A.A.C. 19, Article 6 of this Chapter.

D. At a minimum of 180 days before planned enrollment of students, a parent institution that received proposal approval within the previous year may submit to the Board an electronic copy of an application for provisional approval. The parent institution shall ensure that the provisional approval application was written by or under the direction of a registered nurse who meets the program administrator requirements of R4-19-203(A) and includes the following information and documentation:

1. Name and address of parent institution;

2. A self-study that provides evidence supporting compliance with R4-19-201 through R4-19-206, and

3. Names and qualifications of:

a. The nursing program administrator;

b. Didactic nursing faculty or one or more nurse consultants who are responsible for developing the curriculum and determining nursing program admission, progression and graduation criteria;

4. Plan for recruiting and hiring additional didactic faculty for the first semester or session of operation at least 60 days before classes begin;

5. Plan for recruiting and hiring additional clinical nursing faculty at least 30 days before the clinical rotation begins;

6. Final program implementation plan including dates and number of planned student admissions, recruitment and hire dates for didactic and clinical faculty for the period of provisional approval;

7. Descriptions of available and proposed physical facilities with dates of availability; and

8. Detailed written plan for clinical placements for all planned enrollments until graduation of the first class that is:

a. Based on current clinical availability and curriculum needs;

b. Confirms availability and commitment from proposed clinical agencies for the times and units specified.

E. Following an onsite evaluation conducted according to A.R.S. § 41-1009, the Board shall grant a two year provisional approval to a parent institution that meets the requirements of R4-19-201 through R4-19-206 if approval is in the best interest of the public. A parent institution that is denied provisional approval may request a hearing by filing a written request with the Board within 30 days of service of the Board's order denying the application for provisional approval. Hearings shall be conducted in accordance with A.R.S. Title 41, Chapter 6, Article 10 and 4 A.A.C. 19, Article 6 of this Chapter.

F. The provisional approval of a nursing program expires 12 months from the date of the grant of provisional approval if a class of nursing students is not admitted by the nursing program within that time.

G. One year after admission of the first nursing class into nursing courses, the program shall provide a report to the Board containing information on:

1. Implementation of the program including any differences from the plans submitted in the applications for proposal and provisional approval and an explanation of those differences; and

2. The outcomes of the evaluation of the program according to the program's systematic evaluation plan under R4-19-201;

H. Following receipt of the report described in subsection (G), a representative of the Board shall conduct a site survey visit in accordance with A.R.S. § 41-1009 to determine compliance with this Article. A report of the site visit shall be provided to the Board.

I. If a nursing program with provisional approval fails to comply with requirements of A.R.S. Title 32, Chapter 15, or 4 A.A.C. 19, Article 4, the Board may initiate a disciplinary action. Prior to imposition of discipline against a provisional approval, the nursing program is entitled to a hearing conducted in accordance with A.R.S. Title 41, Chapter 6, Article 10 and 4 A.A.C. 19, Article 6 of this Chapter.

Ariz. Admin. Code § R4-19-207

Adopted effective February 20, 1980 (Supp. 80-1). Former Section R4-19-17 renumbered and amended as Section R4-19-16 effective July 16, 1984 (Supp. 84-4). Former Section R4-19-17 renumbered as R4-19-207 (Supp. 86-1). New Section adopted effective July 19, 1995 (Supp. 95-3). Amended by final rulemaking at 7 A.A.R. 5349, effective November 8, 2001 (Supp. 01-4). Amended by final rulemaking at 11 A.A.R. 451, effective March 7, 2005 (05-1). Amended by final rulemaking at 19 A.A.R. 1419, effective July 6, 2013 (Supp. 13-2). Amended by final rulemaking at 23 A.A.R. 1420, effective 7/1/2017. Amended by final rulemaking at 25 A.A.R. 919, effective 6/3/2019. Amended by final rulemaking at 26 A.A.R. 3289, effective 12/2/2020. Amended by emergency rulemaking at 30 A.A.R. 66, effective 12/19/2023, exp. 6/16/2024 (Emergency). Amended by emergency rulemaking at 30 A.A.R. 2021, effective 6/17/2024, exp. 12/14/2024 (Emergency).