The following criteria have been established to guide the licensed nurse in selecting appropriate programs and to guide the provider in planning and presenting continuing education programs. Activities which may meet these criteria include: classroom instruction, individualized instruction, academic courses, self-directed study, and institutional-based instruction.

1. (1) Length. The program shall be at least one contact hour (60 consecutive minutes) in length.

2. (2) Learner objectives.

   1. (A) Objectives shall be written and shall be the basis for determining content, learning experience, teaching methodologies, and evaluation.
   2. (B) Objectives shall be specific, attainable, measurable, and describe expected outcomes of the learner.
3. (3) Target audience. The target audience for the program is identified.
4. (4) Planned program. There shall be evidence of program planning based on needs of potential target audience.

5. (5) Content.

   1. (A) The content shall be relevant to nursing practice and/or health care and provide for the professional growth of the licensee.
   2. (B) Content is related to and consistent with the program objectives.

6. (6) Instructor qualification.

   1. (A) There shall be documentation of the instructor's expertise in the content area. The instructor should apply principles of adult learning.
   2. (B) If the program includes a clinical nursing component, a licensed nurse with expertise in that specific component shall provide supervision with a ratio of no more than 12 participants to one faculty.
   3. (C) If the program includes a clinical component other than nursing, an instructor possessing the appropriate credentials of the discipline shall provide supervision.

7. (7) Teaching methods.

   1. (A) Learning experiences and teaching methods shall be appropriate to achieve the objectives of the program.
   2. (B) Principles of adult education shall be used in the design of the program.
   3. (C) Time allotted for each activity shall be sufficient for the learner to meet the objectives of the program.
   4. (D) A schedule of the program shall be provided which describes content with corresponding time frames.
   5. (E) Facilities and educational resources shall be adequate to implement the program.

8. (8) Evaluation.

   1. (A) Participants shall complete a written evaluation of the:

      1. (i) teaching expertise of each instructor;
      2. (ii) learner's achievement of objectives;
      3. (iii) relevance of objectives to overall purpose/goal of activity;
      4. (iv) effectiveness of teaching strategies; and
      5. (v) appropriateness of physical facilities and educational resources.
   2. (B) If participation is in an academic course or other program in which grades are granted, a grade equivalent to "C" or better shall be required, or "Pass" on a Pass/Fail grading system.

9. (9) Records.

   1. (A) Records of programs shall be kept by the provider for a minimum period of four years from the date of completion.
   2. (B) Records shall include target audience, program planning materials, content, objectives, outline of instructor qualifications, teaching strategies and materials, evaluation tools and summary and a list of participants.
   3. (C) The provider shall furnish each participant a record of successful completion specifying the provider; title, date and location of program; number of contact hours; and provider number, grades and organization granting approval, if applicable. This record shall be kept by the nurse for a minimum period of four years from the date of completion.

Source Note:The provisions of this §216.4 adopted to be effective September 1, 1999, 24 TexReg 4000; amended to be effective June 26, 2007, 32 TexReg 3846.