5607 PRACTICAL NURSING EDUCATION PROGRAMS

5607.1 A qualified nurse administrator shall direct and implement a practical nursing education program in the District.5607.2 The nurse administrator shall, with the participation of the faculty, be responsible for administration, planning, implementation, and evaluation of the program.5607.3 The nurse administrator shall:- (a) Be currently licensed, in good standing, as a registered nurse in the District of Columbia;

- (b) Have a minimum of a master's degree in nursing; or

- (c) Have a master's degree in education with a baccalaureate degree in nursing.

- (d) Have educational preparation or experience in teaching, curriculum development, and administration, including a minimum of two (2) years of post-graduate clinical experience; and

- (e) Have current knowledge of nursing practice at the practical nurse level.5607.4 The nurse administrator shall establish and maintain a practical nursing advisory committee to make recommendations to the program for improvement, to assist in interpreting the program to the community, and to make the program aware of the current concepts in practical nursing education and health trends in the area.5607.5 The advisory committee shall:- (a) Consist of at least seven (7) members appointed by the Nurse Administrator;

- (b) Be members of the community living or currently practicing in the District who are aware of the acute, long-term care, and community health care needs of the community;

- (c) Include a consumer, a health care administrator, a licensed practical nurse, a licensed registered nurse, a current student or graduate, an educator not associated with the program, and the program's nurse administrator; and

- (d) Meet at least twice each year.5607.6 The faculty of the practical nursing education program, including clinical faculty members, shall:- (a) Be currently licensed, in good standing, as registered nurses in the District of Columbia;

- (b) Have a minimum of a baccalaureate degree in nursing, with the majority of the total faculty having a master's degree in nursing; or

- (1) Current evidence of progress towards a master's degree in nursing; or

- (2) Evidence of course work; or

- (3) Certification relevant to current teach role.

(c) Have a minimum of two (2) years of clinical experience as registered nurses; and

(d) Have current knowledge of nursing practice at the practical nurse level.

5607.7 There shall be written personnel policies for nursing faculty and clinical instructors that are in keeping with accepted educational standards and which encourage continuing professional growth and development.

5607.8 The curriculum of the practical nursing education program shall be:

(a) Developed and implemented by the nurse administrator and faculty through an organizing framework which reflects the philosophy or mission statement of the nursing education program;

(b) Sequentially and logically organized to facilitate student attainment of the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and abilities necessary to achieve the program objectives or outcomes for graduates at that level;

(c) Based on sound educational principles; and

(d) Reflective of the theory and application of the nursing process.

5607.9 The ratio between nursing and non-nursing courses shall ensure sufficient preparation for the safe and effective practice of nursing.

5607.10 Curriculum content, learning experiences, and methods of instruction shall be selected to fulfill program objectives, or outcomes, and provide opportunities for a variety of learning alternatives appropriate for contemporary knowledge and practice in nursing.

5607.11 There shall be an educational rationale for the selection and distribution of courses and for the selection of theoretical and clinical laboratory content in nursing.

5607.12 The faculty shall develop and implement a written plan for evaluation of the total nursing program and shall provide for student participation.

5607.13 The data from the evaluation plan shall be utilized for continuous program improvement and shall include the following:

(a) Evaluation time intervals;

(b) Student evaluation of their classroom and clinical experiences and recommendations for improvement;

(c) Measurements of graduate satisfaction regarding the adequacy of the nursing program to prepare them for the scope of their practice;

(d) Evaluation of the graduates by their employers;

(e) Faculty and student evaluation of the program's clinical placements and agencies;

(f) Evaluation of the students and faculty, of factors determined by the program, by the clinical facilities utilized for clinical placements;

(g) Trending graduation rates;

(h) Trending graduate performance on the NCLEX;

(i) Evaluation of the methods and tools used to measure the students' cognitive, affective, and psychomotor achievement;

(j) Evaluation of the program objectives or outcomes;

(k) Evidence that the program is meeting its objectives or outcomes as well as the changing needs of nursing and its community;

(l) Recommendations and a planned course of action for program improvement and the correction of identified deficiencies; and

(m) Evidence that prior recommendations and evaluation findings have been acted upon.

5607.14 The curriculum shall include didactic instruction in the following:

(a) Theory and practice in nursing, including the attainment and maintenance of physical and mental health and the prevention of illness throughout the lifespan for individuals and groups, in:

(1) Adult health nursing;

(2) Maternal and newborn health;

(3) Pediatric nursing;

(4) Psychiatric and mental health nursing;

(5) Geriatrics; and

(6) Community health nursing.

(b) Basic concepts of interpersonal relations;

(c) Communication;

(d) Growth and development;

(e) Client education;

(f) Cultural diversity;

(g) Basic concepts of anatomy;

(h) Basic concepts of physiology;

(i) Basic concepts of microbiology;

(j) Basic concepts of chemistry;

(k) Basic concepts of nutrition;

(l) Nursing principles and skills;

(m) Basic concepts of pharmacology, including clinical experience on the administration

of drugs;

(n) Basic concepts of the nursing process;

(o) Basic concepts of ethics;

(p) Nursing history and trends; and

(q) Vocational and legal aspects of nursing.

5607.15 Students shall be provided didactic instruction in correlation with the related clinical learning experiences.

5607.16 A clinical shall not be composed of more than ten (10) students per clinical instructor and the actual number of students assigned per instructor shall be based on the following:

(a) The acuity of the patient's needs;

(b) The objectives of the learning experience;

(c) The class level of the students;

(d) The physical placement of the students;

(e) The instructor's teaching methods; and

(f) The requirements established by the clinical agency.

5607.17 The faculty shall develop written objectives for each clinical to be used as a guide for the selection of clinical agencies and student placements.

5607.18 The student shall be assigned only to facilities that can provide the clinical objectives set forth in § 5607.20.

5607.19 The school or program shall ensure that its student practice sites contracts with clinical agencies are maintained current and specify the expectations and responsibilities of the parties.

5607.20 Clinical experiences shall provide a variety of learning options that are appropriate for the contemporary practice of nursing in the following areas:

(a) Medical nursing;

(b) Surgical nursing;

(c) Maternal and newborn health;

(d) Pediatric nursing;

(e) Psychiatric and mental health nursing;

(f) Long-term care; and

(g) Community health facilities.

5607.21 The total hours of a practical nursing education program shall be no less than sixteen hundred (1 600) hours with a minimum of six hundred (600) of the hours being clinical. Skills lab activities

shall not be used as a substitute for required clinical hours. For purposes of this requirement, an hour shall be no less than fifty (50) minutes.

5607.22 Clinical preceptors may be used to enhance clinical learning experiences after a student has received basic clinical and didactic instruction in the specific area or course.

5607.23 When clinical preceptors are used, the following conditions shall be met:

(a) The criteria for selecting a preceptor shall be in writing and shall include the following:

(1) The method of selecting clinical preceptors;

(2) The plans for orientation of clinical preceptors;

(3) The clinical objectives or outcomes of the preceptorship; and

(4) A system for monitoring and evaluating the student's learning experiences.

(b) The designated faculty member shall retain responsibility for the student's learning experiences and meet periodically with the clinical preceptor and the student to monitor and evaluate the student's learning experiences.

5607.24 The designated faculty member shall be readily available, either directly or by a communication device, when students are in the clinical area.

5607.25 The clinical preceptor shall have the following minimum qualifications:

(a) Be currently licensed, in good standing, in the state in which they are providing the preceptorship, at or above the level for which the student is preparing;

(b) A minimum of two (2) years of experience as a licensed nurse providing direct patient care, during the five (5) years immediately preceding the date of the written agreement;

(c) A philosophy of health care congruent with that of the nursing program; and

(d) Current knowledge of nursing practice at the practical nurse level.

SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 51 DCR 7190 (July 23, 2004); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 54 DCR 2116 (March 9, 2007).