Call for Public Comments

Undergraduate Programs

Full- and part-time nursing faculty hold current nursing licensure and certification (as applicable). Educational requirements include:

• Didactic setting:

• Practical programs: a graduate degree in nursing or a related field or a baccalaureate degree in nursing and current enrollment in a graduate program with a documented degree completion plan. For any faculty member who does not hold a graduate degree and is not currently enrolled in a graduate program, the program must provide documented justification demonstrating that the individual’s professional experience and qualifications are sufficient for their assigned teaching responsibilities.
• Diploma and associate programs: a graduate degree in nursing or a related field. On an exception basis, faculty may hold a minimum of a baccalaureate degree in nursing with active enrollment and progressin a graduate program with a documented degree completion plan;
• Baccalaureate programs: a graduate degree in nursing or a related field;

2. Laboratory, simulation, and/or clinical setting: A nursing degree at or above the level of education offered.

Graduate Programs

Full-time and part-time nursing faculty in all learning environments must hold a minimum of a doctoral degree. For any faculty member who does not hold a doctoral degree, the program must provide documented justification demonstrating that the individual’s professional experience and qualifications are sufficient for their assigned teaching responsibilities.

Nursing faculty must be sufficient in number to support the program.

When present, non-nurse faculty who teach nursing courses meet the educational requirements of the governing organization and have expertise in the content area(s) taught.

Policies for nursing faculty are comprehensive and consistent with those of the governing organization; justification is provided for any policy differences.

• Full-time faculty are oriented and mentored in their assigned responsibilities.
• Part-time faculty are oriented and mentored in their assigned responsibilities.

Full-time nursing faculty develop and maintain current expertise in assigned learning environment(s) through professional development, including (but not limited to):

• the content area(s) taught;
• curriculum design, development, and evaluation;
• student-centered, evidence-based teaching/instructional strategies including learning technology;
• student assessment and evaluation methods; and
• principles of distance education, if applicable.

Part-time nursing faculty develop and maintain current expertise in assigned learning environment(s) through professional development, including (but not limited to):

• the content area(s) taught;
• curriculum design, development, and evaluation;
• student-centered, evidence-based teaching/instructional strategies including learning technology;
• student assessment and evaluation methods; and
• principles of distance education, if applicable.

• Full-time faculty performance is regularly evaluated for effectiveness in their assigned responsibilities.
• Part-time faculty performance is regularly evaluated for effectiveness in their assigned responsibilities.

When preceptors are utilized, the program must ensure that:

• preceptors hold educational qualifications at or above the level of education offered;
• there is a process for verifying that selected preceptors are qualified such as through licensure, certification, and/or relevant experience in content/specialty area;
• each student has a qualified preceptor identified in a timely manner so as not to delay the student's academic progression;
• preceptors have clearly documented responsibilities, which may include providing input into the student’s evaluation; and
• preceptors are oriented, provided with ongoing support, and monitored by program faculty.

The systematic plan for evaluation describes the process for regular summative nursing program-level assessment of student learning outcome achievement.

The faculty will:

• Use at least two appropriate direct outcome assessment methods for each end-of-program student learning outcome to ensure comprehensive summative assessment; the variety of assessment methods should be sufficient to assess all concepts/competencies embedded in each EPSLO. Assessment methods used for each EPSLO must come from more than one source.
  
  Additionally For Graduate Programs
  The systematic plan for evaluation describes the process for regular summative nursing program-level assessment for role-specific nursing competencies for each program option and population foci when applicable, which may be aligned with the end-of-program student learning outcomes or assessed separately.
• establish a specific, measurable expected level of achievement outcome statement for each summative assessment method;
• collect aggregate assessment data at regular intervals (determined by the faculty) to ensure sufficiency of data to inform decision-making and disaggregate the data to promote meaningful analysis; provide justification for data that are not disaggregated;
• analyze assessment data (aggregate and/or disaggregate) at regular intervals (determined by the faculty) and when necessary, implement actions based on the analysis to maintain and/or improve end-of-program student learning outcome achievement; and
• maintain documentation for the three most recent years of the assessment data (aggregate and/or disaggregate), the analysis of data, and the use of data analysis in program decision-making to maintain and/or improve students’ end-of-program student learning outcome achievement.

The written systematic plan for evaluation describes the process for annual assessment of the nursing program completion rate. The faculty will:

• calculate aggregate program completion rate data from the start of the first nursing course the student takes in their original plan of study through completion of the courses required for conferral of a certificate, diploma, or degree. The most recent annual completion rate, ultimate completion rate, OR the mean completion rate for the three most recent years must meet at least one of the following:

• 50% or greater for on-time program completion (students completing within 100% of the stated program length); or
• 60% or greater for ultimate program completion (all students who complete the program regardless of time to completion).
• The three-year mean for on-time program completion is 50% or greater.
• The three-year mean for ultimate program completion is 60% or greater.

2. establish a specific, measurable expected level of achievement outcome statement for on-time program completion for each program option and provide a rationale for each expected level of achievement;
3. collect aggregate program completion rate data annually and disaggregate the data to promote meaningful analysis; provide justification for data that are not disaggregated;
4. analyze program completion rate data (aggregate and/or disaggregate) annually and when necessary, implement actions based on the analysis to maintain and/or improve program completion rate; and
5. maintain documentation for the three most recent years of the data (aggregate and/or disaggregate), the analysis of data, and the use of data analysis in program decision-making to maintain and/or improve students’ success in completing the program.

The written systematic plan for evaluation describes the process for annual assessment of the licensure and/or advanced practice nursing (APRN/APN) certification examination pass rate. The faculty will:

• examine aggregate examination pass rate data (licensure and/or certification) secured from regulatory and/or certifying agencies. The most recent annual pass rate OR the mean pass rate for three most recent years must meet at least one of the following based on the total number of test-takers:

• 80% or greater for all first-time test-takers; or
• 80% or greater for all first-time test-takers and repeaters; or
• at or above the national/territorial mean based on the nursing program type.

2. disaggregate the pass rate data to promote meaningful analysis; provide justification for data that are not disaggregated;
3. analyze program licensure and/or certification examination pass rate data (aggregate and/or disaggregate) annually and when necessary, implement actions based on the analysis to maintain and/or improve students’ examination pass rate success; and
4. maintain documentation for the three most recent years of the aggregated and/or disaggregated data, the analysis of data, and the use of data analysis in program decision-making to maintain and/or improve students’ success in passing the licensure and/or certification examination.

The written systematic plan for evaluation describes the process for annual assessment of the job placement rate. The faculty will:

• For pre-licensure and advanced practice nursing (APRN/APN) programs: use appropriate post-graduation assessment methods (including but not limited to, surveys, text messages, email, phone contact, social media, clinical observation, mixed methods) to collect job placement data from all graduates based on the role for which graduates are prepared (e.g., practical nurse, registered nurse, APRN).
  
  For post-licensure and/or non-APRN/APN graduate programs: use appropriate post-graduation assessment methods (including but not limited to, surveys, text messages, email, phone contact, social media, clinical observation, mixed methods) to collect job placement data from all graduates based on the professional/personal growth, career advancement, and/or new role specialty gained with the degree/certificate achievement.
• establish a specific, measurable expected level of achievement outcome statement for job placement in the role for which graduates are prepared and provide a rationale for the expected level of achievement,
• collect sufficient aggregate post-graduation job placement rate data annually including the response rate and disaggregate the data to promote meaningful analysis; provide justification for data that are not disaggregated;
• analyze sufficiency of job placement rate data annually and when necessary, implement actions to maintain and/or improve data sufficiency;
• analyze aggregate job placement rate data (aggregate and/or disaggregate) annually and when necessary, implement actions based on the analysis to maintain and/or improve the job placement rate; and
• maintain documentation for the three most recent years of the data (aggregate and/or disaggregate), the analysis of data, and the use of data analysis in program decision-making to maintain and/or improve students’ success in obtaining a job in a role for which the program prepared them.

The written systematic plan for evaluation describes the process for regularly sharing data, data analysis results, and program actions/decision-making with stakeholders.

The faculty will share the:

• end-of-program student learning outcomes data, data analysis results, and program actions/decision-making with stakeholders;
• program completion rate data, data analysis results, and program actions/decision-making with stakeholders;
• licensure and/or certification examination pass rate data, data analysis results, and program actions/decision-making with stakeholders; and
• job placement rate data, data analysis results, and program actions/decision-making with stakeholders.