(a) The program of study shall be:
(1) At least the equivalent of one (1) academic year;
(2) Planned, implemented, and evaluated by the faculty;
(3) Based on the philosophy/mission and objectives/outcomes;
(4) Organized logically and sequenced appropriately;
(5) Based on educational principles acceptable to the
Board; and
(6) At or beyond the master's degree level.
(b) For clinical nurse specialist programs, the program
of study must also qualify the graduate for a minimum of a master's
degree in nursing.
(c) The curriculum content shall include:
(1) Didactic and clinical learning experiences necessary
to meet the objectives/outcomes;
(2) Concepts and principles critical to advanced practice
registered nursing;
(3) Professional and legal implications of the nurse
in the advanced role;
(4) Knowledge and skills relevant to practice in the
area of role and population focus; and
(5) Evidence of inclusion of the following curricular
requirements:
(A) Separate courses in advanced pharmacotherapeutics,
advanced health assessment, and advanced physiology and pathophysiology.
These courses must be graduate level academic courses;
(B) Evidence of theoretical and clinical role preparation;
(C) Evidence of clinical major courses in the population
focus area;
(D) Evidence of a practicum/preceptorship/internship
to integrate clinical experiences as reflected in essential content
and the clinical major courses.
(E) In this subsection, the following terms have the
following definitions:
(i) Advanced Health Assessment Course--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. Content must include assessment
of all human systems, advanced assessment techniques, concepts, and
approaches.
(ii) Advanced Pharmacotherapeutics Course--a course
that offers content in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, pharmacotherapeutics
of all broad categories of agents, and the application of drug therapy
to the treatment of disease and/or the promotion of health.
(iii) Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology Course--a
course that offers content that provides a comprehensive, system-focused
pathology course that provides students with the knowledge and skills
to analyze the relationship between normal physiology and pathological
phenomena produced by altered states across the life span.
(iv) Role preparation--formal didactic and clinical
experiences/content that prepare nurses to function in an advanced
practice registered nurse role.
(v) Clinical major courses--courses that include didactic
content and offer clinical experiences in a specific population focus
area.
(vi) Essential content--didactic and clinical content
essential for the educational preparation of individuals to function
within the scope of advanced practice registered 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.
(vii) Practicum/Preceptorship/Internship--a designated
portion of a formal advanced practice registered nurse education program
that is offered in a health care setting and affords students the
opportunity to integrate theory and clinical practice in both the
advanced practice registered nurse role and population focus area
through direct patient care/client management. Practicums/Preceptorships/Internships
are planned and monitored by either a designated faculty member or
qualified preceptor.
(d) For clinical nurse specialist programs, the curriculum
must also contain a minimum of nine (9) 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 recognized by the Board.
(e) A clinical nurse specialist program must include
at a minimum a separate course in diagnosis and management of diseases
and conditions within the clinical specialty area recognized by the
Board. This course(s) must be an advanced level academic course(s)
with a minimum of 45 clock hours.
(f) Individuals prepared in more than one (1) advanced
practice registered nurse role and/or population focus (including
blended role or dual specialty programs) shall be considered to have
completed separate advanced practice registered nursing education
programs of study for each role and/or specialty area.
(g) The program of study shall include a minimum of
500 separate, non-duplicated clinical hours for each advanced role
and population focus within the advanced practice registered nursing
education program.
(h) Post-master's preparation may be offered as graduate
level course work through master's or higher level advanced practice
registered nursing education programs that include the desired role
and population focus and otherwise meet the standards in this chapter.
(1) Post-master's students are required to complete
a minimum of 500 clinical hours in addition to the entire role, clinical
major, and curricular requirements, or the equivalent set forth in
this chapter. Courses may be waived if an individual's transcript
indicates that an equivalent course has been successfully completed
or if the student demonstrates proficiency, validating program outcomes
according to written program policies. Clinical hours shall not be
waived.
(2) Only registered nurses who hold master's degrees
in nursing shall be eligible for post-master's preparation as clinical
nurse specialists.
(i) Board staff approval is required prior to implementation
of major curriculum changes. Proposed changes shall include information
outlined in Board guidelines and shall be reviewed using Board standards.
Changes that require approval include:
(1) Changes in program philosophy/mission and objectives/outcomes
that result in a reorganization or reconceptualization of the entire
curriculum, and/or
(2) An increase or decrease in program length by more
than nine (9) semester credit hours or 25%.
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Source Note: The provisions of this §219.9 adopted to be effective September 13, 2001, 26 TexReg 6889; amended to be effective January 8, 2008, 33 TexReg 184; amended to be effective December 9, 2018, 43 TexReg 7894 |