What are specific requirements about a program of study in nursing?
Professional nursing education (RN) programs are required to include basic curriculum content:
- non-nursing courses which provide supportive areas of study in biological and behavioral sciences and the humanities
- nursing courses providing didactic and clinical learning experiences in the 4 content areas:
- medical-surgical
- maternal/child health
- pediatrics
- mental health
- a systematic approach to clinical decision making to prepare students to safely practice professional nursing through the promotion, prevention, rehabilitation, maintenance, and restoration of the health of individuals of all ages
- professional values including ethics, safety, diversity, and confidentiality
- Nursing Practice Act and Rules & Regulations
- issues in health care
Vocational nursing education (VN) programs are required to include:
- a minimum of 1398 clock hours: 558 hours for classroom instruction and 840 hours for clinical instruction in biological, physical, social, behavioral, and nursing sciences including:
- body structure and function
- microbiology
- pharmacology
- nutrition
- signs of emotional health
- human growth and development
- vocational adjustments and nursing skills
- correlated didactic and clinical practice in:
- nursing care of children
- maternity nursing
- nursing care of the aged
- nursing care of adults
- nursing care of individuals with mental health problems
Is it necessary to obtain BON approval to incorporate IV therapy into the existing curriculum for vocational nursing education as a part of medication administration and pharmacology?
Rule 214 does not specifically address incorporating IV therapy for the vocational nurse in the curriculum as part of medication administration and pharmacology.
What constitutes a major or minor curriculum change?
It is important to know if a curriculum change is a major change or a minor change because major changes require Board staff approval. What constitutes a major vs. a minor change is a little different between VN and RN programs:
| VN Programs - Major Curriculum Change | RN Programs - Major Curriculum Change |
|---|---|
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A mobility program desiring to establish a generic program is treated as a new program and the appropriate proposal should be developed.
Minor curriculum changes do not require prior Board staff approval and include:
- editorial updates of philosophy/mission and objectives/outcomes
- redistribution of course content or course hours
When a program makes a curriculum change, either major or minor, they shall evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum change through the graduation of the first class using the changed curriculum.
What would be included in an abbreviated proposal for a major curriculum change?
There are 6 steps included in an abbreviated proposal for a major curriculum change:
- submit at least 4 months prior to implementation
- include a cover letter providing a brief summary of the proposed change including rationale and planned implementation date
- submit old and new philosophy/mission, major concepts, program objective/outcomes, course objectives/outcomes
- include current and proposed curriculum plans which reflect theory, lab/clinical hours for each course in the program
- include clinical evaluation tools for each clinical course
- provide additional information as requested by Board staff in order to provide clarity
What are the BON requirements regarding the HESI examination?
The BON does not have any requirements related to programs using the HESI examination. Many nursing programs use the remediation/testing package in a variety of ways, all of which are individualized to each program. Some programs use other processes or techniques to prepare students for the NCLEX examination. It is the choice of the individual nursing program to utilize whatever methods it determines work best for their nursing students.