Words and terms, when used in this chapter, shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

1. (1) Accredited nursing educational program--a professional nursing educational program having voluntary accreditation by a Board-approved national nursing accrediting body.
2. (2) Affidavit of Graduation--an official Board form containing an approved nursing educational program's curriculum components and hours, a statement attesting to an applicant's qualifications for registered nurse licensure in Texas and the signature of the nursing program dean/director.
3. (3) Affiliating agency or clinical facility--a health care facility or agency which provides learning experiences for students.
4. (4) Alternative practice settings--settings which provide opportunities for clinical learning experiences although their primary function is not the delivery of health care.
5. (5) Approved professional nursing educational program--a professional nursing educational program approved by the Texas Board of Nursing.
6. (6) Articulation--a planned process between two or more educational systems to assist students to make a smooth transition from one level of education to another without duplication in learning.
7. (7) Board--the Texas Board of Nursing composed of members appointed by the Governor for the State of Texas.
8. (8) Career school or college--see paragraph (33) of this section (relating to Proprietary school)--educational entity defined in Title 3, Texas Education Code, §132.0015 as "career school or college."
9. (9) Clinical learning experiences--faculty planned and guided learning activities designed to assist students to meet stated program and course outcomes and to safely apply knowledge and skills when providing nursing care to clients across the life span as appropriate to the role expectations of the graduates. These experiences occur in actual patient care clinical learning situations and in associated clinical conferences; in nursing skills and computer laboratories; and in simulated clinical settings, including high-fidelity, where the activities involve using planned objectives in a realistic patient scenario guided by trained faculty and followed by a debriefing and evaluation of student performance. The clinical settings for faculty supervised, hands-on patient care include a variety of affiliating agencies or clinical practice settings, including, but not limited to: acute care facilities, extended care facilities, clients' residences, and community agencies.
10. (10) Clinical preceptor--a registered nurse or other licensed health professional who meets the minimum requirements in §215.10(j)(6) of this chapter (relating to Clinical Learning Experiences), not employed as a faculty member by the controlling agency/governing institution, and who directly supervises a student's clinical learning experience. A clinical preceptor facilitates student learning in a manner prescribed by a signed written agreement between the educational institution, preceptor, and affiliating agency (as applicable).
11. (11) Clinical teaching assistant--a registered nurse licensed in Texas, who is employed to assist in the clinical area and work under the supervision of a Master's or Doctorally prepared nursing faculty member and who meets the minimum requirements in §215.10(j)(8) of this chapter.
12. (12) Compliance Audit--a document required by the Board to be submitted at a specified time by the nursing educational program dean or director or coordinator that serves as verification of the program's adherence to this chapter.
13. (13) Conceptual framework--theories or concepts giving structure to the curriculum and enabling faculty to make consistent decisions about curriculum development, implementation, and evaluation.
14. (14) Controlling agency--institution that has direct authority and administrative responsibility for the operation of a board approved nursing educational program.
15. (15) Correlated theory and clinical practice--didactic and clinical experiences which have a reciprocal relationship or mutually complement each other.
16. (16) Course--organized subject content and related activities, which may include didactic, laboratory and/or clinical experiences, planned to achieve specific objectives within a given time period.
17. (17) Curriculum--course offerings, which in aggregate, make up the total learning activities in a program of study.
18. (18) Dean/director--a registered nurse who is accountable for administering a pre-licensure nursing educational program, who meets the requirements as stated in §215.6(f) of this chapter (relating to Administration and Organization), and is approved by the Board.
19. (19) Differentiated Essential Competencies (DEC)--the expected educational outcomes to be demonstrated by nursing students at the time of graduation, as published in Differentiated Essential Competencies of Graduates of Texas Nursing Programs Evidenced by Knowledge, Clinical Judgment, and Behaviors: Vocational (VN), Diploma/Associate Degree (DIP/AND), Baccalaureate Degree (BSN), October 2010 (DEC).
20. (20) Examination year--the period beginning October 1 and ending September 30 used for the purposes of determining programs' NCLEX-RN® examination pass rates.
21. (21) Extension program/campus--instruction provided by an approved professional pre-licensure nursing educational program through a variety of instructional methods to any location(s) other than the program's main campus and where students are required to attend activities such as testing, group conferences, and/or campus laboratory. An extension program may offer the entire identical curriculum or may offer a single course or multiple courses.
22. (22) Faculty member--an individual employed to teach in the professional nursing educational program who meets the requirements as stated in §215.7 of this chapter (relating to Faculty).
23. (23) Faculty waiver--a waiver granted by a dean or director of a professional nursing educational program and submitted to the Board on a notarized notification form, or by the Board, as specified in §215.7(d)(4) of this chapter, to an individual who has a baccalaureate degree in nursing and is currently licensed in Texas, or has a privilege to practice, to be employed as a faculty member which is valid for up to one year.
24. (24) Governing institution--the entity with administrative and operational authority over a Board-approved professional nursing educational program.
25. (25) Health care professional--an individual other than a RN who holds at least a bachelor's degree in the health care field, including, but not limited to: respiratory therapists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, dieticians, pharmacists, physicians, social workers and psychologists.
26. (26) MEEP (Multiple Entry-Exit Program)--an exit option which is a part of a professional nursing educational program designed for students to complete coursework and apply to take the NCLEX-PN® examination after they have successfully met all requirements needed for the examination.
27. (27) Non-nursing faculty--instructors who teach non-nursing content such as pharmacology, pathophysiology, research, management and statistics, and who have educational preparation appropriate to the assigned teaching responsibilities.

28. (28) Objectives/Outcomes--clear statements of expected behaviors that are attainable and measurable.

    1. (A) Program Objectives/Outcomes--broad statements used to direct overall student learning to meet achievement of expectations upon graduation.
    2. (B) Clinical Objectives/Outcomes--statements describing expected student behaviors throughout the curriculum and which represent progression of students' cognitive, affective and psychomotor achievement in clinical practice across the curriculum.
    3. (C) Course Objectives/Outcomes--statements describing expected behavioral changes in the learner upon successful completion of specific curriculum content and which serve as the mechanism for evaluation of student progression.
29. (29) Observational experience--an assignment to a facility or unit where students observe activities within the facility and/or the role of nursing within the facility, but where students do not participate in patient/client care.
30. (30) Pass rate--the percentage of first-time candidates within one examination year who pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses NCLEX-RN®.
31. (31) Philosophy/Mission--statement of concepts expressing fundamental values and beliefs regarding human nature as they apply to nursing education and practice and upon which the curriculum is based.

32. (32) Professional Nursing Educational Programs--an educational unit that offers courses and learning experiences preparing graduates who are competent to practice safely and who are eligible to take the NCLEX-RN® examination, often referred to as a pre-licensure nursing program. Types of pre-licensure professional nursing programs:

    1. (A) Associate degree nursing educational program--a program leading to an associate degree in nursing conducted by an educational unit in nursing within the structure of a college or university.
    2. (B) Baccalaureate degree nursing educational program--a program leading to a bachelor's degree in nursing conducted by an educational unit in nursing which is a part of a senior college or university.
    3. (C) Master's degree nursing educational program--a program leading to a master's degree, which is an individual's first professional degree in nursing, and conducted by an educational unit in nursing within the structure of a senior college or university.
    4. (D) Diploma nursing educational program--a program leading to a diploma in nursing conducted by a single purpose school usually under the control of a hospital.
33. (33) Proprietary school--educational entity defined in Title 3, Texas Education Code, §132.0015 as "career school or college."
34. (34) Program of study--the courses and learning experiences that constitute the requirements for completion of a professional pre-licensure nursing educational program (associate degree nursing educational program, baccalaureate degree nursing educational program, master's degree nursing educational program, or diploma nursing educational program).
35. (35) Recommendation--a specific suggestion based upon program assessment indirectly related to the rules to which the program must respond but in a method of their choosing.
36. (36) Requirement--mandatory criterion based upon program assessment directly related to the rules that must be addressed in the manner prescribed.
37. (37) Shall--denotes mandatory requirements.
38. (38) Simulation--activities that mimic the reality of a clinical environment and are designed to demonstrate procedures, decision-making, and critical thinking. A simulation may be very detailed and closely imitate reality, or it can be a grouping of components that are combined to provide some semblance of reality. Components of simulated clinical experiences include providing a scenario where the nursing student can engage in a realistic patient situation guided by trained faculty and followed by a debriefing and evaluation of student performance. Simulation provides a teaching strategy to prepare nursing students for safe, competent, hands-on practice, but it is not a substitute for faculty-supervised patient care.
39. (39) Staff--employees of the Texas Board of Nursing.
40. (40) Supervision--immediate availability of a faculty member, clinical preceptor, or clinical teaching assistant to coordinate, direct, and observe first hand the practice of students.
41. (41) Survey visit--an on-site visit to a professional nursing educational program by a Board representative. The purpose of the visit is to evaluate the program of learning by gathering data to determine whether the program is meeting the Board's requirements as specified in §§215.1 - 215.13 of this chapter (relating to Professional Nursing Education).
42. (42) Systematic approach--the organized process in nursing that provides individualized, goal-directed nursing care by performing comprehensive nursing assessments regarding the health status of the client, making nursing diagnoses that serve as the basis for the strategy of care, developing a plan of care based on the assessment and nursing diagnosis, implementing nursing care, and evaluating the client's responses to nursing interventions.
43. (43) Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB)--a state agency created by the Legislature to provide coordination for the Texas higher education system, institutions, and governing boards, through the efficient and effective utilization and concentration of all available resources and the elimination of costly duplication in program offerings, faculties, and physical plants (Texas Education Code, Title 3, Subtitle B, Chapter 61).
44. (44) Texas Workforce Commission (TWC)--the state agency charged with overseeing and providing workforce development services to employers and job seekers of Texas (Texas Labor Code, Title 4, Subtitle B, Chapter 301).

Source Note:The provisions of this §215.2 adopted to be effective January 9, 2005, 29 TexReg 12190; amended to be effective February 19, 2008, 33 TexReg 1328; amended to be effective October 19, 2008, 33 TexReg 8509; amended to be effective December 27, 2010, 35 TexReg 11668.