Rule 410-9-.09 - School Requirements: Rules and Policies(1) School Rules: (a) Theoretical class size shall be determined by the institution based on the number of faculty members, adequacy of clinical resources, availability of learning resources, and documented survey of need within a fifty (50) mile radius.(b) The students' total scheduled instructional time for classroom and clinical experiences shall not exceed forty (40) hours per week.(c) The nursing education program shall comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's current guidelines for occupational exposure to blood-borne and airborne Pathogens. The policy shall be reviewed annually and revised as necessary in writing.(d) The nursing education program shall have a policy regarding the use of social media by students and faculty in relation to patient privacy and care and federal guidelines.(e) The practical nursing education program shall maintain an annualized licensing examination passing percentage rate of eighty percent (80%) or higher for the program's graduates on the initial examination as provided in Rule 410-9-.03.(f) A student shall be considered to have successfully completed a program when the student has satisfied all performance and learning objectives of an approved program and has met the institution's established graduation requirements.(g) All nursing faculty and preceptors, if utilized, shall meet requirements as provided in Rules 410-9-.07 and 410-9-.08 before assuming duties in the program.(h) The nursing program shall maintain nursing faculty meeting minutes of all decisions pertinent to the operation and revision of the program.(i) Student clinical experience shall include all required health care areas provided in Rule 410-9-.06: 1.Clinical experiences should be correlated with theoretical content;2.The clinical experience instructor-student ratio shall not exceed a one (1) to ten (10) ratio;3.At least three (3) licensed hospital or nursing home beds shall be available for every one (1) student practical nurse at any given time in a clinical affiliate;4.At least 40% of the total board-required clinical experience hours must be obtained in the hospital setting. (j) A nursing program faculty member or a Board-approved preceptor shall be: 1.Present in the clinical facility to which students are assigned for direct patient care and be present on the unit;2.Responsible for the clinical instruction and supervision of the program's student practical nurses.(k) The program's instructors shall provide appropriate clinical focus objectives to each clinical affiliate prior to student assignment provided in Rule 410-9-.02(1)(d).(l) The Clinical Rotation Plan for student learning activities shall be provided to each affiliating clinical facility prior to student assignment provided in Rule 410-9-.02(1)(e). (2) School Policies: (a) Policies related to the practical nursing education program shall be published in a student handbook or catalogue; and(b) The policies set forth below shall be included:1.Academic Standards. The academic standards policy shall include a clearly defined grading system for the program and a policy for course progression and graduation.2.Curriculum. The curriculum policy shall reflect the board's hourly and theoretical content and clinical experience area requirements provided in Rule 410-9-.06(5) as the minimum curriculum.3.Student Grievance. The student grievance policy shall define the authority chain which is to be followed for student grievances at the institution.4.Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Guidelines. The policy shall describe a plan for educating students on the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration's guidelines (O.S.H.A.) and the Centers for Disease Control's (C.D.C.) guidelines and any other regulations applicable to the safety of students and patients in the practice of nursing.5.Student Health. The student health policy shall include the health examinations and immunizations (as currently recommended by the Centers for Disease Control) required to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of students and patients prior to the beginning of student clinical experiences.Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 410-9-.09
O.C.G.A. §§ 43-1-25, 43-26-2, 43-26-5(a)(4) -(6) and 43-26-32.
Original Rule entitled "School Requirements: Rules and Policies" adopted. F. Aug. 24, 2015; eff. Sept. 13, 2015.