(a) The program of study shall be:
- (1) a minimum of 1,398 clock hours: 558 hours for classroom instruction and 840 hours for clinical practice. Class hours shall include actual hours of classroom instruction in nursing and non-nursing Board-required courses/content. Clinical practice shall include actual hours of practice in clinical areas, clinical conferences, and/or simulated lab experiences;
- (2) scheduled with the placement of courses or course content throughout the entire length of the program;
- (3) organized by subject and content to meet the needs of the program;
- (4) based on the philosophy/mission and objectives/outcomes;
- (5) based on sound educational principles;
- (6) designed to prepare graduates to practice according to The Nursing Practice Act, Standards of Nursing Practice, Unprofessional Conduct Rules, and other laws and regulations which pertain to various practice settings;
- (7) designed and implemented to prepare students to demonstrate the Differentiated Entry Level Competencies of Graduates of Texas Nursing Programs, Vocational (VN), Diploma/Associate Degree (Dip/ADN), Baccalaureate (BSN), September 2002; and
- (8) designed to teach students to use a systematic approach to clinical decision making.
(b) The faculty shall be responsible for the development, implementation and evaluation of the curriculum based upon the following guidelines:
- (1) Framework. The philosophy/mission shall be the basis for curriculum development and shall reflect the purpose of the organization, faculty beliefs, and education concepts. Clinical learning objectives/outcomes derived from the philosophy/mission shall be representative of the Differentiated Entry Level Competencies of Graduates of Texas Nursing Programs, Vocational (VN), Diploma/Associate Degree (Dip/ADN), Baccalaureate (BSN), September 2002 for preparation of a vocational nurse graduate. Clinical and course objectives/outcomes shall be stated in behavioral terms and shall serve as the mechanism for student progression. The conceptual framework shall define the internal and external influences impacting vocational nursing education and shall identify the educational method and focus.
- (2) Design and Implementation. The curriculum shall be designed and implemented to prepare students to demonstrate the Differentiated Entry Level Competencies of Graduates of Texas Nursing Programs, Vocational (VN), Diploma/Associate Degree (Dip/ADN), Baccalaureate (BSN), September 2002. The curriculum design shall allow for flexibility to incorporate current nursing education theories and the implications of current developments in health care and health care delivery to assist graduates in meeting professional, legal, and societal expectations. Educational mobility shall also be a consideration in curriculum design.
(3) Specific Provisions. Instruction shall be provided in biological, physical, social, behavioral, and nursing sciences, including body structure and function, microbiology, pharmacology, and nutrition; signs of emotional health; and human growth and development. Vocational adjustments and nursing skills shall also be included. Courses may be integrated or separate. The selection and organization of the learning experiences in the curriculum shall provide continuity, sequence, and integration of learning. Didactic and skills laboratory experiences shall be concurrent. Correlated didactic and clinical practice shall be provided in the following areas, but not necessarily in separate courses:
- (A) Nursing Care of Children. Experiences shall include care of children and meeting their needs in a variety of age groups in both the acute and non-acute care setting. Day care and clinic settings may be utilized as supplementary experience. Common health deviations, physical, psychological, and neurological handicaps, and nutritional needs shall be emphasized. Students shall have opportunities to develop understanding of normal growth and development and the influences of the family, home, church, school, and community. Student practice in caring for and understanding the needs of newborn infants shall also be included.
- (B) Maternity Nursing. Opportunities shall be provided for students to gain an understanding of the psychological and physiological aspects of pregnancy, labor, and puerperium. Assisting mothers in the care of their infants shall be emphasized. A variety of settings, including clinics, organized maternity units, and maternity cases in non-segregated units, may be utilized for provision of maternity nursing experience.
- (C) Nursing Care of the Aged. Opportunities shall be included for the care of individuals experiencing specific changes related to the aging process. Students shall develop an understanding of the physical and mental changes associated with aging and the implications of aging in planning nursing care.
- (D) Nursing Care of Adults. Opportunities shall be provided to the student through the use of various resources to care for adults who have health deviations. Resources used shall include learning experiences to illustrate the individual as a member of the family, the responsibilities and functions of the community in the provision of nursing care, and the types of agencies where nursing is practiced. Preventive, therapeutic, and rehabilitative aspects shall be provided. Experiences shall also include the physical, psychological, and spiritual components of health and disease. Experience shall include, but not be limited to, the acute care settings.
- (E) Nursing Care of Individuals With Mental Health Problems. Learning opportunities shall include an understanding of personality development, human needs, common mental mechanisms, and factors influencing mental health and mental illness. Common mental disorders and related therapy shall be included. Clinical experience in a unit or facility specifically designed for psychiatric care is optional.
- (c) Classroom instruction shall include organized student/faculty interactive learning activities, formal lecture, audiovisual presentations, and simulated laboratory instruction.
- (d) The curriculum plan, including course outlines, shall be kept current and available to faculty and Board representatives.
- (e) A system of grading shall be in place which does not allow grades of less than a "C" on any subject area required for licensure eligibility listed in this chapter.
(f) Major revisions to the curriculum must be submitted to the Board office following Board guidelines for review and approval prior to implementation. Major revisions include:
- (1) changes in philosophy/mission;
- (2) revisions in program hours; and
- (3) addition/reduction of courses in the program of study.
- (g) All programs implementing a curriculum change shall provide an evaluation of the outcomes of these changes and submit them with the Annual Report through the first graduating class.
- (h) There shall be provision for continuous development, implementation, and evaluation of the curriculum.
- (i) Programs may allow individuals to challenge the vocational nursing education curriculum, and shall develop and define such policies to meet theory and practice requirements for challenging credit.
- (j) Adaptation to the calendar in the college catalog is permissible.
Source Note:The provisions of this §214.9 adopted to be effective February 13, 2005, 30 TexReg 545; amended to be effective July 10, 2005, 30 TexReg 3996.