1. (a) Types of accreditation.

   1. (1) Initial accreditation. Initial accreditation is written authorization to admit students and is granted if the program meets the requirements of the board.
   2. (2) Full accreditation--basic program. Full accreditation is granted to a basic program after one graduating class has taken the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses and is based upon evidence that the program is continuing to meet the board's legal and educational requirements.
   3. (3) Full accreditation--baccalaureate degree program for registered nurses. Full accreditation is granted to a baccalaureate degree program for registered nurses after one class has completed the program and is based upon evidence that the program is continuing to meet the board's legal and educational requirements.

   4. (4) Warning.

      1. (A) Issuance of warning. When the board determines that a program is not meeting legal and educational requirements, the program is issued a warning, is provided a list of the deficiencies, and is given a specified time in which to correct the deficiencies.
      2. (B) When on warning, the program shall not initiate distance education initiative. Programs on warning are not eligible to petition for faculty waivers.
      3. (C) Failure to correct deficiencies. If the program fails to correct the deficiencies within the prescribed period, it shall be placed on conditional accreditation.
   5. (5) Conditional accreditation. Conditional accreditation is granted for a time specified by the board in order to provide additional time to correct deficiencies. The program shall not admit students until full accreditation is achieved.
2. (b) Withdrawal of accreditation. A program with conditional accreditation which fails to correct all deficiencies within the specified time shall be removed from the list of state-accredited nursing programs.

3. (c) Accreditation procedure. The continuing accreditation status of a program shall be determined annually by the board on the basis of a board survey visit, National League for Nursing (NLN) accreditation and/or review of annual report.

   1. (1) NLN accreditation. The board may accept NLN accreditation in lieu of a board survey visit after a program is fully accredited by the board.
   2. (2) Board survey visit. Each nursing program that is not NLN accredited will be visited at least every six years after full accreditation has been granted. A written report of the visit together with the annual report submitted by the director will be reviewed by the board at a regularly scheduled meeting. The decisions of the board concerning the accreditation status of the program will be sent to the director and the chief administrative officer of the controlling institution.
   3. (3) Other survey visits. Each nursing program may be visited at the discretion of the board.
   4. (4) Review of annual report. When a program is not visited by a board representative during an academic year, the accreditation status is determined by the board on the basis of the annual report of the program and other pertinent data.

Source Note:The provisions of this §215.4 adopted to be effective September 1, 1994, 18 TexReg 8905; amended to be effective February 3, 1998, 23 TexReg 752.