1. (a) New program approval.

   1. (1) MA-C training programs shall be Arkansas State Board of Nursing-approved prior to implementation of the program.

   2. (2) The parent institution shall be a:

      1. (A) Postsecondary educational institution, hospital, or consortium of such institutions that currently offers a nursing program; or
      2. (B) Consortium of five (5) or more skilled nursing facilities.

   3. (3) Approval.

      1. (A) The institution shall submit a proposal that is signed by the appropriate administrative officers, and includes:

2. (i) Evidence of adequate and appropriate faculty/resources to provide for the program and the requirements listed in this part; and

   1. (ii) A plan and timeline for meeting the program requirements.

      1. (B) The board shall conduct an initial survey.
      2. (C) The board may grant, defer, or deny initial approval of the MA-C training program.
      3. (D) After being granted approval, the institution may advertise and enroll students.

3. (b) Established program approval.

   1. (1) Continued approval.

      1. (A)

         1. (i) A survey will be conducted every five (5) years to review the program for continued compliance with the standards.
         2. (ii) The survey report and documentation shall be submitted to the board and reviewed.

      2. (B) The board may:

         1. (i) Grant or defer continued approval; or
         2. (ii) Place the program on conditional approval.

   2. (2) Conditional approval.

      1. (A) If areas of noncompliance with standards are not corrected within the timeframe established by the board, the board shall award conditional approval.
      2. (B) 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.

   3. (3) The board may:

      1. (A) Grant continued conditional approval;
      2. (B) Grant full approval; or
      3. (C) Withdraw the MA-C training program’s approval.

   4. (4) Satellite and distance learning sites shall:

      1. (A) Be approved by the board prior to implementation; and

      2. (B) Meet the same standards as the parent program.

         1. (c) Program requirements.
   5. (1) Administration and organization. The parent institution shall be approved by the appropriate state body.
   6. (2) Financial resources. There shall be adequate financial support to provide stability, development, and effective operation of the program.

   7. (3) Facilities.

      1. (A) Each program and satellite campus shall have a clinical skills laboratory equipped with necessary educational resources.

      2. (B) Classrooms and laboratories shall be:

         1. (i) Available at the scheduled time;
         2. (ii) Adequate in size for number of students; and
         3. (iii) Climate controlled, ventilated, lighted, and equipped with seating, furnishings, and equipment conducive to learning and program goals.
      3. (C) Adequate storage space shall be available.
      4. (D) Facilities shall be in compliance with applicable local, state, and federal rules and regulations related to safety and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

      5. (E) Offices.

         1. (i) There shall be adequate office space for instructors.
         2. (ii) There shall be secure space for:
4. (a) (a) Records;

5. (b) (b) Files;

   1. (c) (c) Equipment; and

      1. (d) (d) Supplies.

         1. (iii) There shall be office equipment and supplies to meet the needs of faculty and clerical staff.

      2. (F) Clinical facilities.

         1. (i) Designated facilities shall provide adequate clinical learning experiences to meet course objectives.
         2. (ii) Students shall receive orientation at each clinical site.

   2. (4) Personnel.

      1. (A) The program shall have at least one (1) instructor.
      2. (B) The instructor shall hold a current unencumbered registered nurse license to practice in Arkansas with at least two (2) years clinical experience and/or education experience in a designated facility.

      3. (C) The program may have clinical instructors who shall:

         1. (i) Be licensed to practice nursing in Arkansas; and
         2. (ii) Have at least one (1) year recent experience in a designated facility.
      4. (D) An instructor or preceptor shall be onsite and available at all times during the student’s clinical experience.
      5. (E) There shall be secretarial and other support staff sufficient to meet the needs of the program.
   3. (5) Students. There shall be written policies for admission, readmission, progression, and completion for students that include documentation of the student’s qualifications that comply with Arkansas Code § 17-87-704.

   4. (6) Training program.

      1. (A) The training program shall include curriculum and learning experiences essential for the expected entry level and scope of work of the MA-C.

      2. (B) The training program shall have at least one hundred (100) hours to include:

         1. (i) Forty-five (45) hours of didactic study;
         2. (ii) Fifteen (15) hours of skills lab practice; and
         3. (iii) Forty (40) hours of supervised progressive clinical.

      3. (C) The didactic content shall include, but not be limited to:

         1. (i) Role and scope of work of the MA-C;
         2. (ii) The legal and ethical issues of medication administration;
         3. (iii) Principles of medication properties, uses, and action;
         4. (iv) Principles of medication administration, including:
6. (a) (a) Safety;

7. (b) (b) Infection control;

   1. (c) (c) Communication; and

      1. (d) (d) Documentation skills; and

         1. (v) Appropriate reporting of changes in clients’ condition.
      2. (D) The skills lab shall include activities that focus on achieving the course objectives.
      3. (E) Consideration shall be given to safety, patient acuity, and the clinical area in determining the necessary faculty-to-student ratio for clinical experiences.
      4. (F) The faculty-to-student ratio during clinical experiences shall be no greater than 1:6.

      5. (G)

         1. (i) There shall be a supervised progressive clinical experience with the first twenty-four (24) hours under the direct supervision of the clinical instructor.
         2. (ii) A preceptor may supervise the remaining clinical hours.

   2. (7) Preceptors.

      1. (A) Preceptors shall:

         1. (i) Be licensed to practice nursing in Arkansas; and
         2. (ii) Have at least one (1) year recent experience in a designated facility.
      2. (B) The ratio of preceptor to student shall not exceed one-to-one (1:1).

      3. (C) There shall be written policies for the use of preceptors that include:

         1. (i) Communications between the program and preceptor concerning students;
         2. (ii) Duties, roles, and responsibilities of the program, preceptor, and student; and
         3. (iii) An evaluation process.
      4. (D) All preceptors shall be listed on the annual report.

   3. (8) Program evaluation.

      1. (A) Appropriate records shall be maintained to assist in overall evaluation of the program.

      2. (B) Students shall evaluate the:

         1. (i) Courses;
         2. (ii) Instructors;
         3. (iii) Preceptors; and
         4. (iv) Clinical experience.

   4. (9) Records.

      1. (A) Current program records shall be safely stored in a secure area.
      2. (B) The final record of all students enrolled in the program shall be maintained according to the policies of the parent institution.

      3. (C) The final record shall:

         1. (i) Reflect courses taken and include information as indicated by the board;
         2. (ii) Be an official documentation of program completion; and
         3. (iii) Be printed on security paper or an official electronic document.

      4. (D) Permanent student records shall be safely stored to prevent loss by destruction and unauthorized use.

         1. (d) Reports, certification examination performance, and closure reports.

   5. (1) Reports.

      1. (A) An annual report shall be submitted in a format and date determined by the board.

      2. (B) The board shall be notified in writing of changes affecting the program, including but not limited to:

         1. (i) Curriculum;
         2. (ii) School name;
         3. (iii) Instructor; and
         4. (iv) Ownership or merger of parent institution.
      3. (C) Curriculum and program changes shall be approved by the board prior to implementation.

   6. (2) Certification examination performance.

      1. (A) The program shall maintain a minimum pass rate of seventy-five percent (75%) for first-time certification examination candidates.
      2. (B) Any program with an annual pass rate below seventy-five percent (75%) shall be required to submit a plan and a progress report that includes evaluation and implementation of changes to the program to achieve the minimum pass rate.

   7. (3) Program closure.

      1. (A) Voluntary:

         1. (i) The parent institution shall submit a letter of intent and plan for closure at least six (6) months prior to the closure;
         2. (ii) The board shall approve the closure plan prior to implementation;
         3. (iii) All classes and clinical experiences shall be provided until current students complete the program; and
         4. (iv)
8. (a) (a) Records of a closed program shall be maintained by the parent institution.

9. (b) (b) The institution shall notify the board of arrangements for the storage of permanent student and graduate records.

   1. (B) Mandatory:

      1. (i)
10. (a) (a) Upon board determination that a program has failed to comply with educational standards and approval has been withdrawn, the parent institution shall receive written notification for closure of the program.

11. (b) (b) The notification shall include a requirement for a plan for:

    1. (1) (1) Completion of currently enrolled students; or

    2. (2) (2) Transfer of students to another acceptable program; and

       1. (ii)
12. (a) (a) Records of a closed program shall be maintained by the parent institution.

13. (b) (b) The institution shall notify the board of arrangements for the storage of permanent student and graduate records.

    1. (C) Reapplication of training programs.

       1. (i) A closed program may submit reapplication for an MA-C Training Program after two (2) years.

          1. (ii) Reapplication shall follow same procedure as initial program applicant.

Codification Notes: This section as promulgated prior to codification into the Code of Arkansas Rules provided as follows: “HISTORY: Amended: May 15, 2022”