1. (a) In order to be eligible to apply for authorization as an advanced practice nurse, the registered nurse must have completed an advanced educational program of study appropriate for practice in an advanced nursing specialty and role recognized by the board.

2. (b) Applicants for authorization as advanced practice nurses must submit verification of completion of all requirements of an advanced educational program that meets the following criteria:

   1. (1) Advanced educational programs in the State of Texas shall be accredited by the board or a national accrediting body recognized by the board.
   2. (2) Programs in states other than Texas shall be accredited by a national accrediting body recognized by the board or by the appropriate licensing body in that state. A state licensing body's accreditation process must meet or exceed the requirements of accrediting bodies specified in board policy.
   3. (3) Programs of study shall be at least one academic year in length and may include a formal preceptorship.
   4. (4) Beginning January 1, 2003, the program of study shall be at the master's degree level.

3. (c) Applicants for authorization as clinical nurse specialists must submit verification of the following requirements in addition to those specified in subsection (b) of this section:

   1. (1) completion of a master's degree in the discipline of nursing, and
   2. (2) completion of a minimum of nine semester credit hours or the equivalent in a specific clinical major. Clinical major courses must include didactic content and offer clinical experiences in a specific clinical specialty/practice area.

4. (d) Those applicants who completed nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialist programs on or after January 1, 1998 must demonstrate evidence of completion of the following curricular requirements:

   1. (1) separate courses in pharmacotherapeutics, advanced assessment and pathophysiology and/or psychopathology. These must be advanced level academic courses with a minimum of 45 clock hours per course;
   2. (2) evidence of theoretical and clinical role preparation;
   3. (3) evidence of clinical major courses in the specialty area; and
   4. (4) evidence of a practicum/preceptorship/internship to integrate clinical experiences as reflected in essential content and the clinical major courses.

   5. (5) In this subsection, the following terms have the following definitions:

      1. (A) Advanced Assessment Course means a course that offers content supported by related clinical experience such that students gain the knowledge and skills needed to perform comprehensive assessments to acquire data, make diagnoses of health status and formulate effective clinical management plans.
      2. (B) Pharmacotherapeutics means a course that offers content in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, pharmacology of current/commonly used medications, and the application of drug therapy to the treatment of disease and/or the promotion of health.
      3. (C) Role preparation means formal didactic and clinical experiences/content that prepare nurses to function in an advanced nursing role.
      4. (D) Clinical major courses means courses that include didactic content and offer clinical experiences in a specific clinical specialty/practice area.
      5. (E) Clinical specialty area means specialty area of clinical practice based upon formal didactic preparation and clinical experiences.
      6. (F) Essential content means didactic and clinical content essential for the educational preparation of individuals to function within the scope of advanced nursing practice. The essential content includes but is not limited to: advanced assessment, pharmacotherapeutics, role preparation, nursing specialty practice theory, physiology/pathology, diagnosis and clinical management of health status, and research.
      7. (G) Practicum/Preceptorship/Internship means a designated portion of a formal educational program that is offered in a health care setting and affords students the opportunity to integrate theory and role in both the clinical specialty/practice area and advanced nursing practice through direct patient care/client management. Practicums/Preceptorships/Internships are planned and monitored by either a designated faculty member or qualified preceptor.
5. (e) Those applicants who complete nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialist programs on or after January 1, 2003 must demonstrate evidence of completion of a minimum of 500 clinical hours within the advanced educational program.

Source Note:The provisions of this §221.3 adopted to be effective February 25, 2001, 26 TexReg 1509.