D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 17, § 5609 – [Repealed]

5609 BACCALAUREATE DEGREE NURSING EDUCATION PROGRAMS

5609.1 A qualified nurse administrator shall direct and implement a nursing education program in the District.

5609.2 The nurse administrator shall, with the participation of the faculty, be responsible for administration, planning, implementation, and evaluation of the nursing program.

5609.3 The nurse administrator shall:

(a) Be currently licensed, in good standing, as a registered nurse in the District of Columbia;
(b) Have an earned doctorate in nursing or a related field;
(c) Have educational preparation or experience in teaching, and curriculum development and administration, including a minimum of two (2) years of clinical experience as a registered nurse; and
(d) Have current knowledge of nursing practice at the registered nurse level.

5609.4 The faculty, including clinical faculty members, shall:

(a) Be registered nurses licensed and in good standing in the District of Columbia;
(b) Have a master's degree in nursing; or
(c) A master's degree in education with a baccalaureate degree in nursing; or
(d) A baccalaureate degree in nursing with a minimum of five (5) years experience engaged in didactic teaching;
(e) Have a minimum of two (2) years of clinical experience as registered nurses; and
(f) Have current knowledge of nursing practice at the registered nurse level.

5609.5 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.

5609.6 The curriculum 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.

5609.7 The ratio between nursing and non-nursing courses shall ensure sufficient preparation for the safe

and effective practice of nursing.

5609.8 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.

5609.9 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.

5609.10 The faculty shall develop and implement a written plan for evaluation of the total nursing program and shall provide for student participation.

5609.11 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.

5609.12 The curriculum shall include didactic instruction in the following courses:

(a) Theory and practice in nursing, including the attainment and maintenance of physical and mental health and the prevention of illness throughout the lifespan of 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 or public health nursing;

(b) Anatomy with a related laboratory experience;

(d) Chemistry;

(e) Microbiology with a related laboratory experience;

(f) Mathematics;

(g) Nutrition and diet therapy;

(h) Pathophysiology;

(i) Social and behavioral sciences;

(j) The humanities;

(k) Pharmacology;

(l) Nursing research and its applications to nursing; and

(m) Statistics.

5609.13 The curriculum shall include didactic instruction in the following concepts:

(a) Nursing history and trends;

(b) Professional responsibilities;

(d) Healthcare economics and policy;

(e) Cultural diversity;

(f) Interpersonal relations;

(g) Group dynamics;

(h) Nursing leadership;

(i) Legal aspects of nursing;

(j) Education and counseling for patients and their families;

(k) Theory and application of the nursing process; and

(l) Knowledge of emerging technologies.

5609.14 The baccalaureate degree curriculum shall permit students to choose no less than six (6) credit hours of electives in upper level general education courses during the course of the nursing program.

5609.15 The clinical practice component shall be an integral part of the curriculum.

5609.16 Students shall be provided didactic instruction in correlation with the related clinical learning experiences.

5609.17 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.

5609.18 The faculty shall develop written objectives for each clinical course to be used as a guide for the selection of clinical agencies and student placements.

5609.19 The student shall be assigned only to facilities that can provide the clinical objectives set forth in § 5609.2.1.

5609.20 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.

5609.21 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 or public health nursing.

5609.22 The school or program shall develop and implement evaluation methods and tools to be used for measuring students' cognitive, affective, and psychomotor achievement to assure satisfactory progression.

5609.23 The program shall provide a written rationale for the ratio of clinical hours to academic credits for each clinical. The ratio shall be a minimum of three (3) clinical hours for each one (1) academic credit. Skills lab activities shall not be used as a substitute for required clinical hours.

5609.24 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.

5609.25 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.

5609.26 The designated faculty member shall be readily available, either directly or by a communication device, when students are in the clinical area.

5609.27 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 preceptor ship, at or above the level for which the student is preparing;

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

(d) Current knowledge of nursing practice at the registered 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).