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

1. (1) Academic course--A specific set of learning experiences offered in an accredited school, college, or university. Academic credit will convert on the following basis: one academic quarter hour equals 10 contact hours: one academic semester hour equals 15 contact hours.
2. (2) Accredited nursing program--A school, department, or division of nursing accredited/approved by a nursing board or other licensing authority which has jurisdiction over accreditation/approval of nursing programs.
3. (3) Accustomation course--A specific set of planned learning experiences designed to assist foreign educated nurses holding temporary permits to become acclimated to the nurse's role in the United States health care delivery system and to increase the likelihood of the nurses passing NCLEX-RN on the first writing. The board-approved course includes 120 hours of classroom and 120 hours of precepted clinical learning experiences.
4. (4) Act--The Medical Radiologic Technologist Certification Act, Texas Civil Statutes, Article 4512m, (Article II and III, §3.01(a), (c), (d), and (e), Senate Bill 1439, 70th Legislature).
5. (5) Approved--Recognized as having met established standards and predetermined criteria of the credentialing agencies recognized by the board. Applies to providers and programs.
6. (6) Audit--A random sample of licensees taken to verify satisfactory completion of the board's requirements for continuing education during a biennial license renewal period.
7. (7) Authorship--Development of a manuscript for a journal article or text accepted by a publisher for statewide or national distribution on a subject related to nursing or health care.
8. (8) Auxiliary aids and services--Include, but are not limited to, technological devices, qualified interpreters or readers, materials in alternate formats, and acquisition or modification of equipment or devices.
9. (9) Board--The Board of Nurse Examiners for the State of Texas.
10. (10) Candidate--An individual who has completed an accredited nursing program and has been approved to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses.
11. (11) Candidate with a disability--An individual with a disability who has successfully completed an accredited nursing program who may or may not require modifications in the NCLEX administration.
12. (12) Certificate of registration--The initial certificate issued by the board following proof of qualifications.
13. (13) Classroom instruction--Workshops, seminars, institutes, conferences, or short-term courses which the individual attends which may be acceptable for continuing education credit.
14. (14) Clinical laboratory--Faculty-planned and guided learning experiences designed to assist students to meet the course objectives and to apply nursing knowledge and skills in the direct care of patients/clients. This includes associated clinical conference and planned learning experiences in skills laboratories, acute care facilities, extended care facilities, and other community resources.
15. (15) Commisson on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) Certificate--Documentation that verifies the educational credentials and CGFNS examination results of graduates of foreign nursing schools.
16. (16) Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools Exam (CGFNSE)--A test established as a screening mechanism to determine the probability of a foreign nurse to pass the NCLEX-RN.
17. (17) Contact hour--Fifty consecutive minutes of participation in a learning activity.
18. (18) Continuing education (CE)--Programs beyond the basic preparation which are designed to promote and enrich knowledge, improve skills, and develop attitudes for the enhancement of nursing practice, thus improving health care to the public.
19. (19) Continuing education program--An organized educational activity designed and evaluated to meet a set of behavioral objectives which may be presented in one session or a series of sessions.
20. (20) Continuing education unit (CEU)--A unit of measure used to designate 10 contact hours. Ten contact hours equal one CEU.
21. (21) Credentialing agency--An organization recognized by the board as having met nationally predetermined criteria to approve programs and providers of CE.
22. (22) Delinquent license--A license lapsed due to failure to renew the certificate of reregistration.
23. (23) Direct supervision--Requires a registered professional nurse to be working on the same unit and readily available to provide consultation and assistance.
24. (24) Endorsement--Licensed in another state via examination and verification of satisfactory personal and professional characteristics.
25. (25) Examination--The State Board Test Pool Examination for Registered Nurses.
26. (26) Examination year--The time period from September 1 of one year to August 31 of the following year.
27. (27) Graduate of a foreign nursing school--An individual who graduated from a post-secondary nursing education program that prepares professional nurse generalists for licensure and is accredited by a governmental authority.
28. (28) Impaired professional--A registered professional nurse licensed by the Board of Nurse Examiners for the State of Texas whose ability to perform as a professional nurse is impaired by chemical dependency on drugs and/or alcohol or by mental illness.
29. (29) Individual with a disability--An individual with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities; has a record of such an impairment; or is regarded as having such an impairment.
30. (30) Individualized instruction--A program initiated by the individual and completed at that individual's pace. Activities which may be accepted for credit include home study and programmed instruction.
31. (31) Inservice--Programs sponsored by the employing agency to provide specific information about the work setting. Orientation or other programs which address the institution's philosophy, policies, and procedures; on-the-job training; basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation; and equipment demonstration are not acceptable for continuing education credit.
32. (32) Institutional-based instruction--Planned programs conducted by the employing agency for the development of its nursing staff's knowledge and improvement of skills. Institutional-based instruction which qualifies under §217.15(b)(1) of this title (relating to Continuing Education) is acceptable for Type I credit. Type II credit may be obtained for programs which comply with §217.15(c).
33. (33) Jurisdiction--A state or territory of the United States using the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) as the licensing examination.
34. (34) License/certificate of reregistration--A license to practice nursing as a registered nurse.
35. (35) Licensing authority--A legislated or governmentally appointed agency which approves, accredits or otherwise regulates legally defined behaviors of institutions or individuals.
36. (36) National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN)--The test used by the board to measure minimal competence for licensure as a registered nurse.
37. (37) Nursing practice--The performance of services for compensation appropriate for RNs employed in clinical practice, administration, education, or research.
38. (38) Orientation--A program designed to introduce employees to the philosophy, goals, policies, procedures, role expectations, and physical facilities of a specific work place. This does not meet the continuing education criteria as intended by these rules.
39. (39) Permanent licensure by endorsement--The process of issuing a permanent license without further examination to a registered nurse from another jurisdiction or licensing authority after the board has verified that the applicant meets the same standards as are required of Texas registered nurses.
40. (40) Practitioner--A doctor of medicine, osteopathy, podiatry, dentistry, or chiropractic who is licensed under the laws of Texas and who prescribes radiologic procedures for other persons.
41. (41) Program--A peer assistance program designed to help impaired professional nurses which meets the minimum criteria established by the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse and the additional criteria established by the Board of Nurse Examiners for the State of Texas.
42. (42) Program number--A unique number assigned to a program upon approval which shall identify it regardless of the number of times it is presented.
43. (43) Provider--An individual, partnership, organization, agency, or institution which offers continuing education programs.
44. (44) Provider number--A unique number assigned to the provider upon approval by the credentialing agency or organization.
45. (45) Radiologic procedure--Any procedure intended for use in the diagnosis of disease or other medical or dental conditions in humans or the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease in humans that achieves its intended purpose through the emission of radiation, including diagnostic x-rays or nuclear medicine procedures.
46. (46) Reasonable accommodations--Reasonable modifications in policies, practices, or procedures when the modifications are necessary to avoid discrimination on the basis of disability, unless the board can demonstrate that making the modifications would fundamentally alter the measurement of the skills or knowledge that the examination is intended to test; or would result in undue burden and there is an equally effective alternative.
47. (47) Refresher course--A program designed to update knowledge of current nursing theory and clinical practice and consists of a didactic and clinical component to ensure entry level competencies into professional nursing practice. Refresher courses are not accepted for continuing education credit.
48. (48) Registered nurse--A person currently licensed by the board to practice professional nursing.
49. (49) Registered nurse, retired--An individual on inactive status, 65 or older, who has met the requirements for using the title as stated in §217.8(b) of this title (relating to Inactive Status).
50. (50) Reinstatement--The transferral of lapsed license to current status.
51. (51) Renewal period--Two-year period determined by the licensee's birth month and year.
52. (52) Self-directed study--An educational activity wherein the learner takes the initiative and the responsibility for assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating the activity. Self-directed study may include program development, auditing of academic course, initial specialty certification, and authorship.
53. (53) Shall and must--Mandatory requirements.
54. (54) Shall and will--Requirements to be met.
55. (55) Should--A recommendation.
56. (56) State Board Test Pool Examination (SBTPE)--The test formerly used by the board to measure minimal competence for licensure as a registered nurse.
57. (57) Temporary license--A license that authorizes an individual licensed as a registered nurse in other jurisdictions to practice professional nursing in Texas for a specified period of time.
58. (58) Temporary permit/permit--An authorization to practice professional nursing for a specified period of time.
59. (59) Testing accommodation--Reasonable modifications in administration of NCLEX which are necessary to provide accessibility to a qualified candidate with a disability.
60. (60) Theory--Any planned learning activity which takes place in the classroom, learning resource center, skills laboratory, etc., under guidance of faculty.
61. (61) Type I--Program(s) approved through an external review process based on a predetermined set of criteria. The review is conducted by an organization(s) recognized by the board to approve programs and providers.
62. (62) Type II--Program(s) which meet the criteria for acceptable continuing education activity but which have not undergone an external review process.

Source Note:The provisions of this §217.1 adopted to be effective January 1, 1976; amended to be effective October 21, 1981, 6 TexReg 3760; amended to be effective October 18, 1982, 7 TexReg 3539; amended to be effective August 19, 1986, 11 TexReg 3484; amended to be effective February 23, 1989, 14 TexReg 785; amended to be effective August 22, 1989, 14 TexReg 3937; amended to be effective June 6, 1991, 15 TexReg 6188; amended to be effective September 1, 1991, 16 TexReg 3191; amended to be effective April 21, 1993, 18 TexReg 2301; amended to be effective June 17, 1993, 18 TexReg 3565; amended to be effective October 18, 1993, 18 TexReg 6838; amended to be effective August 6, 1997, 22 TexReg 7037.