Rule 410-9-.02 - New Nursing Education Program Development(1) Definitions. (a) "Affiliating Clinical Facility" refers to a contracted health care agency utilized by a sponsoring agency for clinical experience of the students enrolled in a Board-approved nursing education program.(b) "Approved Nursing Education Program" located in this state means a nursing education program approved by the board as meeting criteria established by the board. An "approved nursing education program" located outside this state means a nursing education program that the board has determined to meet criteria similar to and not less stringent than criteria established by the board. In order to be approved by the board, a nursing education program must be one that is offered by:1.A unit of the University System of Georgia accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools;2.An institution of the Technical College System of Georgia;3.A postsecondary institution of higher education that is accredited by a regional accrediting agency recognized by the United State Department of Education; or4.A postsecondary institution of higher education that is not accredited in accordance with subparagraph (3) of this paragraph, but whose curriculum has been determined by the board to meet criteria similar to and not less stringent than criteria established by the board for other approved nursing education programs. (c) "Campus laboratory" refers to the area in the classroom building which has been designed and organized to simulate the actual hospital patient care setting and where students shall obtain initial practice on each other and/or mannequins prior to experience at the affiliating clinical facilities.(d) "Clinical learning focus objectives" refer to those outcomes and competencies to be gained by student assignment to a specific affiliating clinical facility and/or area within the agency.(e) "Clinical rotation plan" refers to the schedule by which students shall be assigned to and rotated through the appropriate experiences available at each affiliating clinical facility.(f) "Library" refers to published literature, audiovisual aids, and all other educational materials available to faculty and students in the nursing education program.(g) "Master Curriculum Plan" refers to the written summary showing the sequence of all courses offered in the nursing education program. It includes the number of contact or actual clock hours for each theory and clinical component of each course, the total hours of theoretical and clinical per semester, and the total hours of theory and clinical for the entire program. 1.Theory includes those learning activities which occur in the classroom and campus 'laboratory setting.2.Clinical includes pre- and post-conferences, actual patient care experience, and other patient-centered learning activities which occur in the clinical facility.(h) "Sponsoring Agency" refers to a parent institution of the nursing education program. The parent institution shall provide financial and administrative support during the establishment and operational existence of a Board-approved nursing education program. Any change in the parent institution's accreditation or affiliation shall be reported to the Board within thirty (30) days of such change.(i) "Survey of need" refers to statements from potential affiliating clinical facilities' on agency letterhead which describe the following:1.E ach agency's current staffing patterns;2.The current number of vacancies per type of nursing personnel category;3.The projected utilization of each level of nursing personnel within the facility.(j) "Syllabus" refers to a written summary of a course in the nursing education program. It includes the course title and number, its credit distribution, placement in the curriculum sequence, prerequisite and co-requisite courses, a course description, learning goals or objectives, related learning activities, and clinical experience, if appropriate. (2) At least twelve (12) months prior to the initial enrollment of students, the administrator of a sponsoring agency considering establishment of a nursing education program must submit a letter to the Board indicating intent to develop a program. The letter of intent shall include the following information: (a) "Survey of Need", which demonstrates that current needs cannot be met by existing nursing education programs within a fifty (50) mile radius of the proposed establishment site;(b) Evidence that adequate clinical facilities are available for student experience; 1.Each potential affiliating clinical facility should submit a letter:(i) Expressing willingness to contract with the proposed new nursing education program for student experience; and(ii) Describing the specifics about nursing programs already utilizing the facility; and(iii) Describing how the new program's clinical experience needs shall be met without overloading the agency.2.At least three (3) licensed hospital or nursing home beds must be available for every one (1) student practical nurse at any given time;3.At least 40% of the total required clinical experience hours must be obtained in the hospital setting.(c) The availability of classroom and campus laboratory facilities and a library for the program;(d) Evidence of financial resources for the planning, implementation and continuation of the program; and(e) The estimated number of qualified applicants for initial and future classes.(3) At least ten (10) months prior to the initial enrollment of students, the administrator of the sponsoring agency shall submit to the Board the following information: (a) The official name of the proposed nursing education program;(b) The anticipated starting date of the program, the number of classes to be admitted per calendar year and the time(s) of admission of those classes, and the anticipated maximum number of students to be admitted per class;(c) The mailing address and other contact information for the program;(d) A completed Clinical Facilities Information Sheet provided by the board which includes all requested information about the affiliating agencies;(e) The Clinical Facility Self-Study Report from each proposed clinical facility which includes a current contract agreement between the sponsoring agency and the clinical facility.(4) After the Board has received and reviewed the letter of intent and the materials pursuant to Rule 410-9-.02(2) and (3), the Board shall conduct site visits to the proposed nursing education program and all of its affiliating clinical facilities. (a) If compliance with Board Laws and Rules has been demonstrated, the Board will grant Developmental Approval.(b) If Developmental Approval is not granted, a written explanation shall be provided to the proposed nursing education program.(5) At least eight (8) months prior to the initial enrollment of students, the following materials shall be submitted as Report I:(a) The administrative structure of the sponsoring agency which demonstrates the lines of authority for the new nursing education program;(b) A Nursing Faculty Qualification Record and evidence of current Georgia licensure as a registered nurse which demonstrates compliance with Rule 410-9-.07, of the Practical Nursing Education Program Director or consultant who has been employed to continue the initial development of the new nursing education program;(c) The program purpose, philosophy, and student terminal objectives pursuant to Rule 410-9-.05;(d) A Master Curriculum Plan as described in Rule 410-9-.02(1)(g) and consistent with Rule 410-9-.07;(e) The syllabi for all courses in the curriculum as described in Rule 410-9-.02(1)(j);(f) Access to school/program catalog;(g) All program and student policies as required by Rule 410-9-.09(2).(6) At least four (4) months prior to the initial enrollment of students, the following materials pertaining to each course to be offered during the first half of the curriculum shall be submitted as Report II:(a) The specific theoretical and clinical objectives/competencies for each unit of study within each course;(b) The student learning and progress evaluation procedures.(7) At least one (1) month prior to the initial enrollment of students, the completed Nursing Faculty Summary Sheet, and the Nursing Faculty Qualification Records, and evidence of Georgia Registered Nurse licensure of the Practical Nursing Department Director and all nursing faculty shall be submitted as Report III. All nursing faculty must demonstrate the qualifications as set forth in Rule 410-9-.07.(8) Provisional Approval shall be considered after the Board, reviews Reports I, II, and III and must be granted prior to the enrollment of students.(a) If Provisional Approval is not granted, an explanation shall be included in the report to the school.(b) A new program granted Provisional Approval will remain on Provisional Approval for two years or until its first graduating class has taken its initial licensing examination, whichever is earlier, and the examination results are reviewed by the Board.(9) No later than one (1) month after the initial enrollment of students, the following materials shall be submitted as Report IV:(a) The actual start date of the program;(b) The actual number of students enrolled;(c) The projected completion/graduation date of the first graduates of the program.(10) The program shall be eligible for Full Approval if it has demonstrated compliance with all Board Laws and Rules, and if 80% of its initial graduating class have passed their initial licensing examination after graduation during the period of Provisional Approval.(11) The program shall be placed on Conditional Approval if it has demonstrated noncompliance with any of the Board Laws or Rules, or if less than 80% of its initial graduating class have passed their initial licensing examination during the period of Provisional Approval.(a) While on conditional approval, the program must demonstrate compliance with all Board Laws and Rules and the program must achieve a 80% pass rate of its graduates who have taken their initial licensing examination.(b) Failure to achieve Full Approval within a three (3) year period shall result in Withdrawn Approval pursuant to Rule 410-9-.03.(12) Graduates of a nursing education program which does not have Board approval shall be denied admission to the licensure examination.(13) No later than six (6) months after the initial enrollment of students, the following materials pertaining to each course to be offered during the remainder of the program's curriculum shall be submitted as Report V:(a) The specific theoretical and clinical objectives/competencies for each unit of study within each course;(b) Written plans for the utilization of affiliating clinical facilities as described in board rules;(c) The student learning and progress evaluation procedures if different from materials submitted in Report II;(14) It is the responsibility of the sponsoring agency to electronically submit each required report to the board at least four (4) weeks prior to the scheduled board meeting at which the report is to be considered.Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 410-9-.02
O.C.G.A. §§ 43-1-25, 43-26-2, 43-26-5(a)(4) -(6) and 43-26-32.
Original Rule entitled "Change of Address" adopted. F. Dec. 18, 1986; eff. Jan. 7, 1987.Amended: Authority changed. F. May 8, 1990; eff. May 28, 1990.Repealed: F. Aug. 23, 1990; eff. Sept. 12, 1990.Adopted: New Rule entitled "New Nursing Education Program Development." F. Aug. 24, 2015; eff. Sept. 13, 2015.