| (a) The progressive designation of approval status
is not implied by the order of the following listing. Approval status
is based upon each program's performance and demonstrated compliance
to the Board's requirements and responses to the Board's recommendations.
Change from one status to another is based on NCLEX-RN® examination
pass rates, compliance audits, survey visits, and other factors listed
under subsection (b) of this section. Types of approval include:
(1) Initial Approval.
(A) Initial approval is written authorization by the
Board for a new program to enroll students, is granted if the program
meets the requirements and addresses the recommendations issued by
the Board, and begins with the date of the first student enrollment.
(B) The number of students to be enrolled while the
program is on initial approval is determined by the Board, and the
requirements will be included in the Board's Order approving the program.
(C) Change from initial approval status to full approval
status cannot occur until the program has demonstrated compliance
with this chapter, has met requirements and responded to all recommendations
issued by the Board, and the NCLEX-RN® examination pass rate is
at least 80% after a full examination year. In order to ensure the
continuing success of the program, the Board may, in its discretion,
impose any restrictions or conditions it deems appropriate and necessary
for continued operation and/or as a condition for changing the approval
status.
(2) Full Approval.
(A) Full approval is granted by the Board to a professional
nursing education program that is in compliance with all Board requirements
and has responded to all Board recommendations.
(B) Only programs with full approval status may initiate
extension programs and grant faculty waivers.
(3) Full with warning or initial approval with warning
is issued by the Board to a professional nursing education program
that is not meeting the Board's requirements.
(A) A program issued a warning will receive written
notification from the Board of the warning and a survey visit will
be conducted.
(B) Following the survey visit, the program will be
given a list of identified areas of concern and a specified time in
which to respond with a set of corrective measures. Further, in order
to ensure the continuing success of the program, the Board may, in
its discretion, impose any restrictions or conditions it deems appropriate
and necessary for continued operation and/or as a condition for changing
the approval status.
(4) Conditional Approval. Conditional approval is issued
by the Board for a specified time to provide the program opportunity
to correct any areas of concern identified by the Board or from findings
in the program's self-study report.
(A) The program shall not enroll students while on
conditional status.
(B) The Board may establish specific criteria to be
met in order for the program's conditional approval status to be changed.
(C) Depending upon the degree to which the Board's
requirements are currently being or have been met, the Board may change
the program's approval status or may withdraw approval. In order to
ensure the continuing success of the program, the Board may, in its
discretion, impose any restrictions or conditions it deems appropriate
and necessary for continued operation and/or as a condition for changing
the approval status.
(5) Withdrawal of Approval. The Board may withdraw
approval from a program which fails to meet the Board's requirements
within the specified time. A program may also elect to voluntarily
close a program, as provided for in subsection (c)(12) of this section.
The dean/director shall submit a plan for closure according to Board
Education Guideline 3.1.7 available at https://www.bon.texas.gov and
outlined in subsection (d) of this section.
(6) When a program closes by Board action or voluntary
decision, the program will be removed from the list of Board approved
professional nursing education programs, but students may complete
the program in teach-out.
(7) A diploma program of study in Texas that leads
to an initial license as a registered nurse under this chapter must
have a process in place to ensure that their graduates are entitled
to receive a degree from a public or private institution of higher
education accredited by an agency recognized by the THECB or the TWC,
as applicable. At a minimum, a graduate of a diploma program will
be entitled to receive an associate degree in nursing.
(b) Factors Jeopardizing Program Approval Status.
(1) When a program demonstrates non-compliance with
Board requirements, approval status may be changed, approval may be
withdrawn, or the Board, in its discretion, may impose restrictions
or conditions it deems appropriate and necessary. In addition to imposing
restrictions or conditions, the Board may also require additional
monitoring of the program. Board monitoring may include the review
and analysis of program reports; extended communication with program
directors; and additional survey visits. A monitoring plan may require
the submission of quarterly reports of students' performance in courses
and clinical learning experiences; remediation strategies and attrition
rates; and reports from an assigned mentor to the program director.
Additional survey visits by a Board representative may be conducted
at appropriate intervals to evaluate the status of the program. The
Board may alter a monitoring plan as necessary to address the specific
needs of a particular program.
(2) A change in approval status, requirements for restrictions
or conditions, or a monitoring plan may be issued by the Board for
any of the following reasons:
(A) deficiencies in compliance with the rule;
(B) substantiated student complaints;
(C) noncompliance with school's stated philosophy/mission,
program design, objectives/outcomes, and/or policies;
(D) failure to submit records and reports to the Board
office within designated time frames;
(E) failure to provide sufficient variety and number
of clinical learning opportunities for students to achieve stated
objectives/outcomes;
(F) failure to comply with Board requirements or to
respond to Board recommendations within the specified time;
(G) student enrollments without resources to support
the program, including sufficient qualified faculty, adequate educational
facilities, and appropriate clinical affiliating agencies;
(H) failure to maintain an 80% passing rate on the
licensing examination by first-time candidates;
(I) failure of program director/dean to verify the
currency of faculty licenses; or
(J) other activities or situations that demonstrate
to the Board that a program is not meeting Board requirements or lacks
institutional control necessary for successful student outcomes.
(c) Ongoing Approval Procedures. Ongoing approval status
is determined biennially by the Board on the basis of information
reported or provided in the program's NEPIS and CANEP, NCLEX-PN®
examination pass rates, program compliance with this chapter, and
other program outcomes. Certificates of Board approval will be sent
to all Board-approved nursing programs biennially in even-numbered
years.
(1) Compliance Audit. Each approved professional nursing
education program shall submit a biennial CANEP regarding its compliance
with the Board's requirements.
(2) NCLEX-RN® Pass Rates. The annual NCLEX-RN®
examination pass rate for each professional nursing education program
is determined by the percentage of first time test-takers who pass
the examination during the examination year.
(A) A minimum of eighty percent (80%) of first-time
NCLEX-RN® candidates is required to achieve a passing score on
the NCLEX-RN® examination during the examination year.
(B) When the passing score of first-time NCLEX-RN®
candidates is less than 80% on the examination during the examination
year, the nursing program shall submit a Self-Study Report that evaluates
factors that may have contributed to the graduates' performance on
the NCLEX-RN® examination and a description of the corrective
measures to be implemented. The report shall comply with Board Education
Guideline 3.2.1 available at https://www.bon.texas.gov. Within one
year of the submission of the Self-Study Report to the Board, the
program shall provide to Board Staff evaluation data on the effectiveness
of corrective measures implemented.
(3) Change in Approval Status. The progressive designation
of a change in approval status is not implied by the order of the
following listing. A change in approval status is based upon each
program's performance and demonstrated compliance to the Board's requirements
and responses to the Board's recommendations. A change from one approval
status to another may be determined by program outcomes, including
the NCLEX-RN® examination pass rates, compliance audits, survey
visits, and other factors Cont'd... |
