Sec. 10.27.03.13. Curriculum

A. The curriculum shall be:

(1) Planned, implemented, and evaluated by the faculty;

(2) Based on the philosophy and program objectives, outcomes, or competencies;

(3) Organized logically and sequenced appropriately; and

(4) Based on sound educational principles.

B. The curriculum plan shall:

(1) Serve as the foundation for curriculum development;

(2) Define and organize philosophical beliefs, values, and concepts;

(3) Operationalize the program objectives or outcomes;

(4) Structure concepts and theories to enhance the teaching-learning process; and

(5) Provide a model for progressive learning.

C. The curriculum objectives, outcomes, or competencies shall:

(1) Flow from the curriculum plan;

(2) Measure the intended objectives, outcomes, or competencies for program graduates; and

(3) Serve as a foundation for:

(a) Sequencing of the program;

(b) Course objectives;

(c) Sequential arrangement of courses; and

(d) Distribution of class and clinical hours.

D. The curriculum of all programs shall:

(1) Be appropriate to the level of the graduate's intended scope of practice;

(2) Provide didactic and clinical learning experiences that are diverse and consistent with program objectives, outcomes, or competencies; and

(3) Include:

(a) Content in the arts and humanities, social and behavioral sciences, and biological and physical sciences;

(b) The nursing process;

(c) Didactic and clinical instruction which includes, but is not limited to, the following areas:

(i) Nursing care of families and clients throughout the life span in a variety of care settings requiring nursing measures appropriate for either the maintenance or restoration of mental and physical health;

(ii) Preventive, rehabilitative, and curative aspects of health care; and

(iii) Biophysical, psychosocial, cultural, and spiritual components of health and illness;

(d) Professional issues content including, but not limited to:

(i) The historical development of nursing;

(ii) Current issues and trends in nursing; and

(iii) Ethical, legal, and professional aspects of nursing;

(e) Multidisciplinary communication;

(f) Evidence based practice;

(g) Patient centered care;

(h) Quality improvement; and

(i) Informatics.

E. The curriculum of baccalaureate degree programs in nursing shall also include:

(1) Didactic and clinical experiences in community health nursing;

(2) Study of nursing research and its application to nursing; and

(3) Study and practice of leadership and management.

F. Course objectives, outcomes, or competencies shall serve as:

(1) Selection criteria for the location and type of clinical learning experiences; and

(2) A basis for evaluation of student performance.

G. Changes in course offerings that will alter the curriculum, philosophy, objectives, outcomes, competencies, or conceptual framework of the program shall:

(1) Be reported to the Board in the annual report; and

(2) Include the following information:

(a) The rationale for changes; and

(b) The methods of evaluation to be used to determine the effect of the change.

H. Students shall be provided didactic instruction either before or concurrent with the related clinical learning experiences.

I. Clinical learning experiences shall be sufficient in quantity and quality to provide opportunities for students to achieve the stated objectives, outcomes, or competencies.

J. Students shall have sufficient opportunities to develop the knowledge, skills, and abilities essential for a safe and effective nursing practice.

K. Evaluation methods and tools used for measuring students’ knowledge, skills, and abilities shall be developed and implemented in order to ensure satisfactory progression of students.

L. There shall be a rationale for the ratio of classroom to clinical hours for each clinical nursing course.

M. Clinical Preceptorships.

(1) When clinical preceptors are used, the following conditions shall be met:

(a) Written agreements between the cooperating agency and the nursing program shall delineate the functions and responsibilities of the parties involved;

(b) There shall be written criteria for selecting clinical preceptors;

(c) The clinical preceptor shall have the following minimum qualifications:

(i) Current licensure as a registered nurse,

(ii) 2 years of experience as a registered nurse and clinical expertise in the area of nursing required for the experience; and

(iii) A philosophy of health care congruent with that of the nursing program;

(d) Written clinical objectives, outcomes, or competencies shall be specified and shared with the clinical preceptor before the preceptorship experience begins; and

(2) The designated faculty member shall:

(a) Be responsible for a student's learning experiences, and

(b) Meet regularly with the clinical preceptor and the student for the purpose of monitoring and evaluating learning experiences.

(3) A bachelor’s degree in nursing is recommended.

(4) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit any cooperating clinical agency’s registered nurses from assisting with clinical activities selected by the program’s nurse faculty or clinical nurse faculty.

(5) The program’s nurse faculty or clinical nurse faculty may not be required to be in the cooperating clinical agency’s facilities but shall be immediately available by telephone.