CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION of NURSE PRACTITIONER PROGRAMS

Transcription

1 2016 CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION of NURSE PRACTITIONER PROGRAMS 5th Edition A Report of the National Task Fore on Quality Nurse Pratitioner Eduation 1

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3 Table of Contents National Task Fore on Quality NP Eduation... 5 Endorsements Criteria for Evaluation of Nurse Pratitioner Programs Introdution Criteria for Evaluation of Nurse Pratitioner Programs... 9 I: Organization and Administration... 9 II: Students...10 III: Curriulum...11 IV: Resoures, Failities, and Servies...14 V: Faulty VI: Evaluation...17 Glossary...19 Appendies...21 Doumentation Cheklists...23 Sample Forms...31 To obtain a printed opy or to download the doument, ontat: Amerian Assoiation of Colleges of Nursing One Dupont Cirle, NW, Ste. 530 Washington, DC Tel: (202) Fax: (202) National Organization of Nurse Pratitioner Faulties 1615 M Street, NW, Ste. 270 Washington, DC Tel: (202) Fax: (202) Eletroni and printed opies of the doument will be available from many of the organizations represented on the National Task Fore on Quality Nurse Pratitioner Eduation and organizations endorsing the evaluation riteria. 3

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5 National Task Fore on Quality Nurse Pratitioner Eduation Task Fore Co-Failitators Amerian Assoiation of Colleges of Nursing Ruth M. Kleinpell, PhD, RN, FAAN, FCCM, FAANP National Organization of Nurse Pratitioner Faulties Joanne M. Pohl, PhD, ANP-BC, FAAN, FAANP Areditation Commission for Eduation in Nursing Abigail Gerding, PhD, RN Marsal P. Stoll, EdD, MSN Amerian Aademy of Nurse Pratitioners Certifiation Program Rihard F. (Rik) Meadows, RN, MS, NP-C, FAANP Amerian Assoiation of Colleges of Nursing Joan Stanley, PhD, CRNP, FAAN, FAANP Amerian Assoiation of Critial-Care Nurses Certifiation Corporation Carol Hartigan, MA, RN Amerian Nurses Credentialing Center Diane Thompkins, MS, RN Erika Borlie, MS. BSN, WHNP-BC, RN-C Amerian Psyhiatri Nurses Assoiation Susie Adams, PhD, RN, PMHNP, FAANP Sattaria S. Dilks, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC Assoiation of Faulties of Pediatri Nurse Pratitioners Judy Verger, PhD, CRNP, CCRN International Soiety of Psyhiatri-Mental Health Nurses Evelyn Parrish, PhD, APRN National Assoiation of Neonatal Nurse Pratitioners Suzanne Staebler, APRN, DNP, NNP-BC National Assoiation of Nurse Pratitioners in Women s Health Susan Kendig, JD, MSN, WHNP-BC, FAANP The National Certifiation Corporation for the Obstetri, Gyneologi and Neonatal Nursing Speialties Robin L. Bissinger, PhD, APRN, NNP-BC, FAAN National Organization of Nurse Pratitioner Faulties Shirlee Drayton-Brooks, PhD, FNP-BC, FAANP Pediatri Nursing Certifiation Board Peg Harrison, MS, CPNP-PC, CAE Staff Support to the National Task Fore: Kathryn Werner, MPA; NONPF Commission on Collegiate Nursing Eduation Jennifer Butlin, EdD Susan Ruppert, PhD, APRN, FNP-C, ANP-BC, FNAP, FCCM, FAANP, FAAN Task Fore members are ommitted to ensuring exellene and stability in nurse pratitioner eduation. We have worked in a ollegial manner and have sought to build onsensus in our proess. Our major strength has been the desire to prepare highly qualified, ompetent nurse pratitioner graduates. We believe that this doument advanes that purpose. 5

6 Endorsements The National Task Fore on Quality Nurse Pratitioner Eduation (NTF) is presently seeking organizational endorsement of the Criteria for Evaluation of Nurse Pratitioner Programs. Endorsement is defined as a general philosophial agreement with the evaluation riteria. The following organizations have endorsed the 5th edition of the Criteria for Evaluation of Nurse Pratitioner Programs: Areditation Commission for Eduation in Nursing (ACEN) Amerian Aademy of Nurse Pratitioners Certifiation Program (AANPCP) Amerian Assoiation of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Amerian Assoiation of Critial-Care Nurses (AACN) Certifiation Corporation Amerian Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Amerian Psyhiatri Nurses Assoiation (APNA) Assoiation of Faulties of Pediatri Nurse Pratitioners (AFPNP) Commission on Collegiate Nursing Eduation (CCNE) International Soiety of Psyhiatri Nurses (ISPN) National Assoiation of Neonatal Nurse Pratitioners (NANNP) National Assoiation of Nurse Pratitioners in Women s Health (NPWH) National Certifiation Corporation for Obstetri, Gyneologi, and Neonatal Speialties (NCC) National Organization of Nurse Pratitioner Faulties (NONPF) Pediatri Nursing Certifiation Board (PNCB) 6

7 2016 Criteria for Evaluation of Nurse Pratitioner Programs, 5th Edition Introdution The Criteria for Evaluation of Nurse Pratitioner Programs offers an important resoure for those involved in the eduational preparation, redentialing, and liensing of nurse pratitioners (NPs). The evaluation riteria, ombined with areditation standards for graduate programs in advaned pratie nursing, provide a basis for evaluating all NP programs. The National Task Fore on Quality Nurse Pratitioner Eduation (NTF), a multi-organizational ollaboration, has a ommitment to maintaining the high quality of NP eduation through sustained efforts of review and updates to the Criteria for Evaluation of Nurse Pratitioner Programs. This 5th edition of the doument reflets the periodi review proess undertaken by the NTF to ensure that these national onsensus-based evaluation standards remain relevant. Revision Proess The National Organization of Nurse Pratitioner Faulties (NONPF) and the Amerian Assoiation of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) reonvened the NTF beginning in early Fourteen organizations, whose ativities are related to NP eduation, ertifiation, or areditation, have representation on the NTF. The NTF met through a ombination of fae-to-fae and virtual meetings and used web-based tehnology and ommuniations to advane its work. By Summer 2015, the NTF had ompleted an initial review and revision of the doument. The NTF representatives then shared the draft doument with organizational leadership for omment to ensure that the organizations had suffiient opportunity for omment on the evaluation riteria. The NTF addressed organizational omments in further revisions to the doument. For the first time in the development and review proess, the NTF made the revised doument publily available for review and omment for four weeks in late The NTF reviewed the feedbak from more than 480 respondents (program administrators, faulty, preeptors, NP liniians, and others) and inorporated hanges before releasing the final doument in Spring The NTF remains ommitted to upholding the timeliness of this doument and will ontinue the yle of review and revisions every 3-5 years unless rapid hanges in NP eduation neessitate an earlier review. Use of the Evaluation Criteria The NTF reaffirms that the revised riteria serve the same purposes as the riteria of eah preeding edition. Starting with the first edition released in 1997, the overarhing intent was to establish nationally reognized riteria to evaluate NP programs, in ombination with other riteria for areditation of graduate programs. Based on these onsiderations, the NTF reommends the following uses of the riteria: to assist in planning new NP programs; as a omplement to role, population foi, and speialty NP ompetenies for program development; for self-evaluation of new and existing programs for ontinuous quality improvement; and to evaluate NP programs, in ombination with a national areditation review proess. Highlighted Areas of Revision Many of the edits in the new edition are editorial in nature, inorporated with the intent of providing added larity or further elaboration while not being overly presriptive or onerous for programs. In the new edition, two riteria were deleted beause of their redundany with the preeding riterion and a sample form was added. The NTF also worked to provide larity to the wording in the riteria and elaborations. As in other reviews of the doument, the NTF gave partiular onsideration to the use of the evaluation riteria in the areditation of programs. The revisions in the riteria and their elaboration also reflet ongoing hanges and trends in learning formats in NP eduation, suh as the use of simulation and ompeteny-based eduation. To failitate use of the doument, the following list highlights major areas of revision in the doument: Criterion I.A: Sentene added at the end of the elaboration further larifies the redentials of the diretor/oordinator in a single-trak program. Criterion I.B: Additional language and examples in the elaboration offer guidane to programs during the ongoing transition to align with the Consensus Model for APRN Regulation (2008). Criterion III.B: New language in the riterion and the elaboration speifies that national eduational standards also must be onsidered for urriulum development. 7

8 Criterion III.C.1: Edits to the language in the riterion and the elaboration larify that programs prepare students for eduational eligibility for ertifiation. Previous language did not take into aount that full eligibility to sit for ertifiation is determined by the ertifiation organizations. Criterion III.C.2: The elaboration now larifies that offiial doumentation (e.g., transripts or offiial letters with institutional seal) must state the NP role and populationfoused area of eduational preparation to inlude primary are or aute are or both, as appliable. Criterion III.E: Modifiation to the language at the end of the riterion makes it lear that the distribution of linial hours supports ompeteny development. The elaboration larifies that linial experienes an inlude telehealth and international diret are experienes. In addition, an added paragraph in the elaboration highlights the important role of simulation to augment the linial learning experienes over and above the minimum 500 hour requirement. A new sample form in the Appendix is available for doumenting the use of simulation. Criterion III.F: Changes within different setions of the elaboration stress the need for programs to doument a proess for evaluating and granting redit for prior experienes for post-master s students. Also the term preepted was added to modify diret are linial experienes. Criterion IV.A: Added language larifies that evidene of an evaluation proess is in plae, whih inludes input from students and faulty regarding the number of faulty and the ability of students to ahieve the expeted ompetenies or learning outomes. The NTF removed IV.A.1 and IV.A.2 beause of redundany. Criterion IV.B.1: The required doumentation added faulty oversight of linial learning experienes. In addition, the revisions to the elaboration offer more guidane about the faulty/student ratio. This guidane allows variation in the faulty/student ratio, taking into onsideration more interprofessional eduation and team-based models of are as well as the use of innovative teahing models. Criterion IV.B.2: The elaboration provides additional guidane about student linial experienes when they our at the student s site of employment. Criterion IV.B.3a: The revision in the elaboration stresses that the students preepted linial experienes need to prepare them with the ompetenies for the appropriate sope of pratie and speifi role and population fous. Programs should onsider this in preeptor seletion and student assignments. Additional Considerations The evaluation riteria provide the optimal standards, reognizing that programs may have justifiable reasons for deviating from some while still providing quality eduation. The intent is that all programs will strive to meet the riteria as written; however, the NTF reognizes that there may be unique issues and onsiderations that neessitate an interim variation or deviation from the standard. The doument provides guidane for programs that deviate from ertain riteria. The robust disussions of the NTF in this revision proess often weighed optimal versus pratial appliation. This was partiularly true in the disussions of ompeteny-based eduation (CBE) and the ongoing stipulation of minimum numbers of hours for diret are linial experienes (Criterion III.E). Despite full support of the NTF for CBE and standards that inorporate CBE, the NTF agreed that the nursing profession is not urrently at the point in the development of CBE proesses in graduate nursing eduation to support the move away from a minimum number of linial pratie hours. Similarly, the NTF onsidered how to advane integration of interprofessional eduation (IPE) experienes into the NP urriulum. The NTF agreed that IPE experienes are important to preparing NP students for interprofessional pratie, yet the NTF had to balane this with the hallenges that still exist for inorporating IPE into the urriulum. The elaboration of Criterion IV.B.1 inludes a reommendation for the inlusion of IPE. The NTF also onsidered hanges and trends in NP eduation, notably the advanements in simulation and its inreased use. The NTF agreed that it was important to inlude more elaboration regarding the role of simulation in the linial eduation of NP students. While strongly endorsing the use of simulation, the NTF agreed that simulation annot replae any of the required minimum 500 diret patient are hours. The elaboration of Criterion III.E provides detail of the NTF perspetive on the valuable appliation of simulation in augmenting NP student preparation. The new sample form in the Appendix is intended to assist programs in doumenting how they use simulation. Endorsements In an ongoing effort to strengthen national support for the evaluation riteria, the NTF seeks endorsement of the final evaluation riteria from organizations. Endorsement is defined as a general philosophial agreement with the ontent and intent of the evaluation riteria. Endorsing organizations are listed in the front of the doument. Criterion VI.A.7: The elaboration now provides more detail about the evaluation of preeptors by faulty and students. 8

9 Criteria for Evaluation of Nurse Pratitioner Programs, 5th Edition The purpose of this doument is to provide a framework for the review of all nurse pratitioner (NP) eduational programs. NP programs shall be at the graduate level, and the program must be aredited by a Department of Eduation-reognized nursing arediting body. New programs will work to meet these riteria and must be preapproved by the nursing arediting body prior to admitting students. This doument fouses on organization and administration, students, urriulum, resoures, failities and servies, faulty, and evaluation for all NP eduational programs. Although not addressed in this doument, the program shall meet nationally reognized areditation standards basi to a graduate program, e.g., philosophy, mission, program outomes, organization and administration, student admission and progression, dismissal and grievane poliies, and faulty reruitment, appointment, and organization. Definitions of italiized terms an be found in the Glossary (see page 19). I: ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION Criterion I.A: The diretor/oordinator of the NP program is nationally ertified as an NP and has the responsibility of overall leadership for the NP program. The individual who provides overall leadership (who may hold the title of diretor, oordinator, or other title reognizing the leadership role) of the NP program is nationally ertified in a partiular NP population-foused area of pratie. In programs with multiple traks, this individual may be ertified in only one NP population-foused area of pratie but have responsibility of leadership for all of the NP traks. Therefore, in larger multi-trak programs, the faulty member who provides diret oversight for a population-foused trak has the NP ertifiation in that population-foused area whereas the overall program diretor may be ertified in another NP population-foused area of pratie. It is preferred that the diretor/oordinator of the NP program has dotoral-level preparation to support the responsibilities of leadership for the program. If the program has only one NP trak and the diretor/oordinator is the same individual as the faulty member who provides diret oversight for the NP eduational omponent or trak, that individual is ertified in that population-foused area or otherwise qualified as desribed in Criterion I.B. Required Evidene of Meeting Criterion: Curriulum vitae of the individual who provides overall leadership of the NP program (e.g. diretor or oordinator). Doumentation of redentialing as an NP in the state (or territory) of pratie. Proof of national ertifiation as an NP in at least one population-foused area. A statement desribing the program diretor/oordinator s responsibilities to the program. Criterion I.B: The faulty member who provides diret oversight for the NP eduational omponent or trak is nationally ertified in the same population-foused area of pratie. Curriulum and program development are arried out by faulty who understand the sope and diretion of NP eduation. Whereas in programs with multiple traks a program diretor/oordinator may provide overall leadership for all NP traks, eah population-foused trak must identify a faulty member who has ertifiation in the same populationfoused area of pratie (primary or aute are, as appropriate). If there is a diversion from this riterion as programs transition to align with the Consensus Model on APRN Regulation, the program/trak must provide additional doumentation on the qualifiations and experiene of the individual for teahing in this program/trak. Examples may inlude: A family nurse pratitioner (FNP) who has spent all of his/her work areer in aring for the adult population and provides diret oversight for the adult-gerontology primary are NP trak. An adult aute are NP who provides diret oversight for the adult-gerontology aute are NP trak. A gerontologial NP or an adult NP who provides diret oversight for the adult-gerontology primary are NP trak. A nationally ertified psyhiatri-mental health (PMH) linial nurse speialist (CNS) who provides diret oversight for the PMH NP trak. This example of a CNS providing oversight of an NP trak only applies to a PMH NP trak. In these examples, as in all NP programs, faulty with diverse perspetives should be in plae to provide the expertise to over the full breadth of the population-foused area of pratie of a trak. 9

10 Required Evidene of Meeting Criterion: Curriula vitae of NP faulty who provide oversight for eah population-foused trak. Doumentation of redentialing as an NP in the state (or territory) of pratie. Proof of national ertifiation as an NP in the populationfoused area and in primary or aute are, as appropriate. A statement desribing the lead NP faulty member s responsibilities to the program. Criterion I.C: Institutional support ensures that NP faulty teahing in linial ourses maintain urreny in linial pratie. NP faulty evaluate students, interfae with preeptors, and serve as role models. Faulty who teah linial omponents of the NP program/trak must maintain urreny in pratie. It is intended that institutions provide administrative support for faulty to pratie the required linial hours to obtain and maintain national ertifiation. This support might inlude faulty pratie models, a redued teahing or servie load, and/or opportunities for faulty to maintain urreny in pratie through ativities in addition to diret patient are (e.g., ommunity-based initiatives, publi health pratie, patient/group health eduation ativities, or oupational health programs). Required Evidene of Meeting Criterion: (1) A opy of institutional poliies or guidelines that support or doument NP faulty s ability to pratie; or (2) A letter of support from the hief nurse administrator (e.g., dean) or a opy of the poliy that allows NP faulty to pratie as part of the workload. Doumentation of faulty pratie plan or arrangements, if appliable. II: STUDENTS Criterion II.A: Any admission riteria speifi to the NP program/trak reflet input by NP faulty. Elaborat NP programs/traks may have unique admission riteria. NP faulty have knowledge and expertise regarding the role responsibilities for all respetive NP programs and are qualified to develop student related admission riteria appropriate for eah NP program. NP faulty have ongoing opportunity to provide input into the establishment, evaluation, and revision of any admission riteria speifi to the NP program. Required Evidene of Meeting Criterion: A opy of admission materials with admission riteria learly highlighted. If riteria for the NP program/trak do not differ from the riteria of the overall graduate degree program, identify program riteria. Examples of douments that demonstrate NP faulty are providing input into admission riteria speifi to the NP program/trak. Criterion II.B: Any progression and ompletion riteria speifi to the NP program/trak reflet input by NP faulty. NP programs/traks may have unique progression and ompletion riteria for full-time, part-time, and/or postgraduate study. NP faulty have the best perspetive on speifi progression and ompletion riteria for the NP program/trak and thus will have opportunity to provide input into the establishment, evaluation, and revision of speifi progression and ompletion riteria. Required Evidene of Meeting Criterion: Student progression and ompletion riteria, inluding any unique to the NP program/trak. If riteria for the NP program/trak do not differ from the overall riteria of the graduate program, identify the graduate program riteria. Doument the riteria for full-time, part-time, and postgraduate study. Examples of douments that demonstrate NP faulty are providing input into progression and ompletion riteria speifi to the NP program/trak. A opy of the program of study for full and part-time study, inluding didati and linial progression, sequening of ourses, and the mehanism and proess for students needing remediation in order to progress. 10

11 III: CURRICULUM Criterion III.A: NP faulty provide input into the development, evaluation, and revision of the NP urriulum. NP faulty have a omprehensive perspetive on what is required for effetive NP eduation. Development, evaluation, and revision of the NP program/trak are direted by the lead NP faulty. There is opportunity for NP faulty to provide input into urriulum development, evaluation, and revision. Required Evidene of Meeting Criterion: Examples of urriulum ommittee meeting minutes doumenting that NP faulty are developing, evaluating, and revising the urriulum. Criterion III.B: The urriulum is ongruent with national standards for graduate-level, advaned pratie registered nursing (APRN) eduation and is onsistent with nationally reognized ore role and population-foused NP eduational standards and ompetenies. A lear urriulum plan (both didati and linial), onsistent with nationally reognized ore role and population-foused ompetenies and eduational standards, is in plae. NP urriulum reflets the essential elements of a graduate nursing and advaned pratie registered nursing (APRN) ore urriulum, in addition to the NP role and population-foused omponent. The NP urriulum provides broad eduational preparation of the individual, inluding the graduate ore, APRN ore, and the NP role within a population-foused area of pratie enompassing national eduational standards and ore ompetenies. NP programs/traks identify methods used in the delivery of the urriulum, inluding guidelines for distane learning. NP programs/traks delivered through alternative delivery methods, suh as web-based learning ativities, are expeted to meet the same aademi program and learning support standards as programs provided in fae-to-fae formats. A single trak nurse pratitioner program inludes ontent in one population-foused area and prepares graduates to meet eduational eligibility requirements for national ertifiation in that population-foused area of pratie. Dual trak nurse pratitioner programs (e.g., family/aross the lifespan NP and PMH NP, pediatri primary are NP, and pediatri aute are NP) inlude ontent and linial experienes in the role and both population-foused areas or in both primary are and aute are. Dual trak NP programs prepare graduates to meet eduational eligibility requirements for ertifiation in two population-foused areas. There is an expetation that the number of didati hours will be greater than for a single population-foused program and that the didati and linial experienes will be suffiient to gain the neessary profiieny in eah population-foused area of pratie. At graduation/ ompletion, students fulfill the eduational riteria for sitting for national ertifiation in eah NP program/trak. In addition to preparation for national ertifiation in the role and at least one population-foused area of pratie, programs may prepare students to pratie in a speialty or more limited area of pratie. Preparation in a speialty must have additional didati and linial hours beyond those required for preparing graduates in the NP role and one populationfoused area. Required Evidene of Meeting Criterion: The nationally reognized eduational standards and ompetenies used for developing urriulum for graduate, APRN, and NP role/population-foused ontent. The national standards used for developing urriulum for speialty ontent (if appliable). The program of study for the graduate and/or post-graduate (full and part-time) inluding ourses, ourse sequene, number of redit hours, and number of linial hours per ourse, as appropriate. A brief overview, inluding ourse desription and objetives for eah ourse, identifying where nationally reognized graduate ore, APRN ore, and NP role/ population-foused eduational standards and ore ompetenies are inluded. A brief overview, inluding ourse desription and objetives for eah ourse, identifying where nationally reognized speialty ompetenies are inluded, when appliable. Criterion III.C.1: The NP program prepares graduates to meet eduational eligibility requirements to sit for a national NP ertifiation examination that orresponds with the role and population fous of the NP program. NP programs prepare graduates to meet eduational eligibility requirements to sit for at least one nationally reognized ertifiation examination that orresponds to the NP role and population fous. This national ertifiation examination assesses the broad eduational preparation of the individual whih inludes graduate ore, APRN ore, NP role/ore ompetenies, and the ompetenies speifi to the populationfoused area of pratie. Required Evidene of Meeting Criterion: Written statement provided to students identifying the role and population-foused ertifiation examination(s) for whih they are prepared to meet eduational eligibility 11

12 requirements to apply upon suessful ompletion of the program. Doumentation demonstrating that a program prepares graduates to meet eduational eligibility requirements for the national ertifiation examination(s) for eah NP trak. Criterion III.C.2: Offiial doumentation states the NP role and population fous of eduational preparation. Offiial doumentation (e.g., transripts or offiial letters with institutional seal) states the NP role and population-foused area of eduational preparation to inlude primary are or aute are or both, as appliable. The offiial transript is preferred as it is the permanent doumentation of the student s oursework and graduation from an eduational program. Required Evidene of Meeting Criterion: A sample transript for a NP graduate showing eduational preparation for the NP role and at least one (1) population fous and/or A sample offiial letter with institutional seal used to speify the eduational preparation for the NP role and at least one (1) population fous. Criterion III.D: The urriulum plan demonstrates appropriate ourse sequening. The urriulum plan douments the ourse sequening and prerequisites designed to promote development of ompetenies. Clinial experienes are supported by preeding or onurrent didati ontent. A student ompletes the basi graduate oursework and APRN ore oursework (advaned physiology/pathophysiology, advaned health assessment, and advaned pharmaology ) prior to or onurrent with ommening linial oursework. Required Evidene of Meeting Criterion: The program of study for graduate degree and postgraduate (full and part-time), inluding pre-requisites. Criterion III.E: The NP program/trak has a minimum of 500 supervised diret patient are linial hours overall. Clinial hours are distributed to support ompeteny development that represents the population needs. Diret patient are linial hours refer to hours in whih diret linial are is provided to individuals and families in one of the six population-foused areas of NP pratie; these hours do not inlude skill lab hours, physial assessment 12 pratie sessions, or a ommunity projet if it does not inlude provision of diret patient are. Clinial experienes and time spent in eah experiene are varied and distributed in a way that prepares the student to provide are to the populations served, whih may inlude telehealth and international diret are experienes. For example, an FNP student reeives experienes with individuals/families aross the life span, and the adult-gerontology NP student reeives experienes with adults aross the adult age spetrum from adolesent to older adult, inluding the frail older adult. In addition, whereas 500 diret patient are linial hours is regarded as a minimum, it is expeted that programs preparing NPs to provide diret are to multiple age groups, e.g., FNP (or lifespan), will exeed this minimum requirement. The distribution of hours is based on the program s population-foused area of pratie. Simulation is reommended to augment the linial learning experienes, partiularly to address the high-risk lowfrequeny inidents; however, simulation experienes may only be ounted as linial hours over and above the minimum 500 diret patient are linial hours. Programs are enouraged to trak the use of simulation to enhane the linial experiene. (See Sample Form H to reord simulation experienes used for evaluation and/or teahing above the minimum required 500 linial hours for the population-foused area of pratie and role.) Combined nurse pratitioner/linial nurse speialist programs inlude ontent in both the CNS and NP roles and populationfoused areas of pratie and prepare graduates to meet eduational eligibility requirements for ertifiation in an NP population-foused area of pratie. Content and linial experienes in the CNS and NP areas of pratie are addressed and linial experienes in both role areas are ompleted. There is an expetation that a minimum of 500 diret patient are linial hours is needed speifially to address NP ompetenies in the preparation of the NP role and populationfoused area of pratie. An overlap of diret patient are linial hours may our aross NP and CNS preparation; however, faulty must doument the overlap of these hours. It is reommended that programs retain this doumentation as well as provide it to students in the event future verifiation is needed for redentialing and other purposes. Dual trak NP programs inlude ontent in two NP populationfoused areas or in both primary are and aute are NP pratie and prepare graduates to meet eduational eligibility requirements for ertifiation in these NP population-foused areas of pratie or for both primary are and aute are NP pratie. Content and linial experienes in both populationfoused areas are addressed and linial experienes in both areas are ompleted. While a minimum of 500 linial hours is needed in eah single population-foused area of pratie to meet the NP ompetenies, an overlap of linial hours might our aross the two roles (primary are and aute are) or the two NP population-foused areas. However, NP programs must

13 doument how the linial hours address the preparation for the two areas of pratie. The population foi of the dual traks will determine the extent to whih overlap may our. NP programs preparing graduates to pratie in a speialty area of pratie in addition to the population-fous will doument how ontent and linial experienes in both the population-fous and the speialty areas of pratie are addressed within the urriulum. Clinial experienes in both the population-foused area of pratie and speialty are to be ompleted. There is an expetation that the number of didati hours will be greater than for a single populationfoused program and that the didati and linial experienes will be suffiient to gain the neessary ompetene in the population-fous and speialty area of pratie. Required Evidene of Meeting Criterion: Doumentation of the proess used to verify student learning experienes and linial hours. An overview of the urriulum. An overview of the number of required preepted/linial hours. For ombined NP/CNS and dual trak NP programs, demonstration of areas of overlap among linial hours. (See Sample Form E.) A desription of types of linial experienes, inluding patient populations, types of praties, and settings in whih eah student is expeted to develop ompetenies. Criterion III.F: Post-graduate students suessfully omplete graduate didati and linial requirements of an aademi graduate NP program through a formal graduate-level ertifiate or degree-granting graduate-level NP program in the desired area of pratie. Post-graduate students are expeted to master the same outome riteria as graduate degree granting program NP students. Post-graduate ertifiate students who are not already NPs are required to omplete a minimum of 500 supervised diret patient are linial hours. Post-graduate ertifiate students through a formal graduatelevel ertifiate program suessfully attain the same didati objetives and linial ompetenies of a graduate degreegranting NP program. A formal graduate-level ertifiate program is defined by the ability of the program or institution to issue a ertifiate or formal letter of ompletion and doument suessful ompletion of the neessary oursework on the final transript. Courses may be waived only if the individual s transript indiates that the required NP ourse or its equivalent has already been suessfully ompleted, inluding graduate-level ourses in advaned physiology/ pathophysiology, advaned health assessment, and advaned pharmaology. Programs must doument the proess for assigning redit granted for prior didati and preepted linial experienes for individual students through a gap analysis. NPs returning for a post-graduate ertifiate or an aademi degree in a population-foused area in whih they urrently pratie but are not nationally ertified Speial onsideration may be given to NPs who are urrently pratiing in a population-foused area of pratie who are seeking national ertifiation in that population by allowing them to hallenge seleted ourses and experienes. However, didati and linial experienes are suffiient to enable the students to master the ompetenies and meet the eduational riteria for national ertifiation in the populationfoused area of pratie. These students omplete a suffiient number of preepted diret patient are linial hours as part of the aademi program to enable the students to establish/ demonstrate ompeteny in the role and population-foused area of pratie. Programs doument the proess for assigning redit granted for prior didati and linial experienes for individual students through a gap analysis. PMH CNSs returning for a post-graduate ertifiate or an aademi degree as a PMH NP To address a period of transition and onsisteny with the Consensus Model on APRN Regulation, speial onsideration for hallenging seleted ourses and experienes may be given to PMH CNSs who are seeking national ertifiation as a PMH NP. However, didati and linial experienes are suffiient to enable the students to master the NP ompetenies and meet the eduational riteria for national ertifiation as a PMH NP. These students omplete a suffiient number of preepted diret patient are linial hours as part of the aademi program to enable the students to establish/ demonstrate ompeteny in the role and population-foused area of pratie. Programs doument the proess for assigning redit granted for prior didati and linial experienes for individual students through a gap analysis. NPs returning for a post-graduate ertifiate or aademi degree in an NP population-foused area in whih they are not urrently pratiing or ertified Speial onsideration may be given to NPs who are expanding into another NP population-foused area of pratie by allowing them to hallenge seleted ourses and experienes. However, didati and linial experienes are suffiient to enable the students to master the ompetenies and meet the eduational riteria for national ertifiation in the new population-foused area of pratie. These students omplete a suffiient number of preepted diret patient are linial hours as part of the aademi program to enable the students to establish/demonstrate ompeteny in the new populationfoused area of pratie. Programs doument the proess for assigning redit granted for prior didati and linial experienes for individual students through a gap analysis. NPs returning for a post-master s Dotor of Nursing Pratie (DNP) Separate ourses in the APRN ore (advaned physiology/ pathophysiology, advaned health assessment, and 13

14 advaned pharmaology) are not required for students enrolled in a post-master s DNP program who are nationally ertified, urrently pratiing as an NP, and do not wish to add a separate pratie fous. However, post-master s DNP students who are NPs and who are seeking ertifiation in a population-foused area of pratie in whih they are not urrently pratiing or ertified must meet the eduational and ertifiation riteria for the additional pratie area as well as the eduational riteria for the DNP. Required Evidene of Meeting Criterion: A ompleted gap analysis for eah post-graduate ertifiate andidate who was granted waivers or exeptions. (See Sample Form F.) Doumentation of the proess for evaluation of student demonstrating national linial ompetenies to grant redit for prior linial experiene. Sample ertifiate of ompletion or a transript for a postgraduate ertifiate NP graduate showing eduational preparation for the NP role and at least one (1) population fous and ompletion of the APRN ore ourses (advaned physiology/pathophysiology, advaned health assessment, and advaned pharmaology). IV: RESOURCES, FACILITIES, and SERVICES Criterion IV.A: Institutional resoures, failities, and servies support the development, management, and evaluation of the NP program/trak. To implement/maintain an effetive NP program/trak, there are adequate numbers of faulty, failities, and servies that support NP students regardless of mode of delivery. As a neessary part of the eduational proess, aess to adequate lassroom spae, models, linial simulations, audiovisual aids, omputer tehnology, and library resoures is ritial. When using alternative delivery methods, a program is expeted to provide or ensure that resoures are available for the students suessful attainment of program objetives. Required Evidene of Meeting Criterion: Desription of student and faulty numbers and the teahing resoures, failities, and servies of the institution that relate to the speifi needs of the NP program/trak. Evidene of student evaluation of the teahing resoures, failities, and servies of the institution that relate to the speifi needs of the NP program/trak. Criterion IV.B: Clinial resoures support NP eduational experienes. Adequate faulty, linial sites, and preeptors are available to support the NP linial, eduational experienes. The NP program/trak provides evidene of ontratual agreements with agenies or individuals used for students linial experienes. Required Evidene of Meeting Criterion: A list of linial failities used speifially for the NP program/ trak and site-based linial preeptors (type, degree, and ertifiation), inluding the name of the site, type of site (e.g., ommunity health, private pratie, rural lini), and lient harateristis. (See Sample Forms A and B.) A sample of a ontratual agreement, inluding a statement on liability overage. A opy of the poliy overing student rotations at linial sites. Criterion IV.B.1: A suffiient number of faulty is available to ensure quality linial experienes for NP students. NP faulty have aademi responsibility for the supervision and evaluation of NP students and for oversight of the linial learning experiene. The faulty/student ratio is suffiient to ensure adequate supervision and evaluation. Faulty supervision may be diret or indiret. Diret supervision ours when NP program faulty funtion as on-site linial preeptors. Indiret supervision has three omponents: (1) to supplement the linial preeptor s teahing, (2) to at as a liaison to a ommunity ageny, and (3) to evaluate the student s progress. Whether through diret or indiret roles, faulty are responsible for all NP students in the linial area. Institutions should desribe the assignment of faulty to ensure adequate teahing time for NP students. The reommended on-site faulty/student ratio (diret supervision) is 1:2 if faulty are not seeing their own patients and 1:1 if faulty are seeing their own patients. In moving toward IPE and teambased models of are, variation in faulty/student ratios for diret supervision may exist and should be strutured to ensure safety and quality are while maintaining integrity of eduational experienes. Variations in this ratio might our with use of innovative teahing models, suh as a master teaher with student linial groups, front-loading ourse ontent followed by onentrated linial time, use of a linial immersion experiene as the final part of the NP program, and interprofessional team-based linial experienes. The reommended ratio for indiret faulty supervision, whih enompasses oordinating the linial experiene, interating 14

15 with the preeptor, and evaluating the student, is 1:6; however, eah institution/program douments how they assign faulty based on a defined faulty workload or amount of designated faulty time. Thus, ratios may vary relative to ertain pratie areas, the individual faulty member, use of tehnology, urriulum design, innovative linial eduation models, and institutional poliy. The intent of the faulty/student ratio designation is based on the premise that preparing ompetent healthare providers is a faulty intense proess that requires onsiderable faulty role modeling and diret student evaluation to determine ompetene. The ratio takes into aount the umulative teahing/administrative duties of the faulty member and his/her linial pratie. NP program/trak faulty for both distane and traditional program options provide oversight of the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the linial learning experiene, whih may inlude, but is not limited to, linial site evaluations, , and phone onsultations with the preeptor and ageny administrators, and the student s appraisal of the linial learning environment. A mehanism is in plae to ensure the linial setting affords the opportunity to meet learning objetives and to doument outomes of the linial experienes. Faulty and student assessments of the linial experiene are onduted regularly and doumented. Required Evidene of Meeting Criterion: Doumentation of the institution/program poliy or proess used for assigning faulty to ensure adequate teahing time for NP students. Doumentation and rationale of the faulty/student ratio for diret and indiret faulty supervision of the program. Doumentation of the method and riteria for student evaluation inluding intensives or linial site evaluations (e.g., fae-to-fae and tehnology-supported visits) made by NP program faulty during an aademi term. Evidene of faulty and student assessment of the linial experiene to meet learning objetives. Doumentation of faulty oversight of the linial learning experiene, inluding vetting, planning, implementation, and evaluation. Criterion IV.B.2: Clinial settings are diverse and suffiient in number to ensure that the student will meet ore urriulum guidelines and program/trak goals. Clinial eduational experienes for students are approved by NP faulty and preeptors. Sites are evaluated on an ongoing basis for adequay of experienes, patient type and mix, and preeptor/student interations to ensure that students engage in experienes suffiient to meet the NP role and population-foused ompetenies. Student linial experienes at the student s site of employment need to be faulty-guided learning experienes and outside of the student s employment expetations/responsibilities. Required Evidene of Meeting Criterion: Reords for the proess used to doument student learning experienes and linial hours. Copies of poliies relevant to linial plaement. Criterion IV.B.3: NP faulty may share the linial teahing of students with qualified preeptors. The supervision of students may be shared with other liniians serving as linial preeptors. Programs may use a mix of liniians to provide diret linial teahing to students appropriate to the range of linial experienes required to meet the program objetives. This mix of preeptors may enhane the interprofessional experiene for the student. Over the ourse of the program the student has a majority of linial experienes with preeptors from the same populationfoused area of pratie in primary are and/or aute are, as appropriate, suh as hild, adult, or aross the lifespan. In addition, over the ourse of the program the student has linial experienes with an APRN preeptor and preferably an NP with expertise in the population-foused area of pratie in primary are and/or aute are, as appropriate. Required Evidene of Meeting Criterion: Preeptor profiles, inluding title, disipline, redentials, evidene of liensure/approval/reognition, eduation, years in role, site (e.g., pediatris, family, adult, or women s health), types of patients (aute, hroni, in-hospital, et.), type of linial supervision, and number of students supervised onurrently. (See Sample Form B.) Criterion IV.B.3.a: A preeptor has authorization by the appropriate state liensing entity to pratie in his/her population-foused and/or speialty area. An interdisiplinary mix of preeptors may provide the student with the best linial experienes to meet program objetives and prepare the student for the NP role, population, and full sope of pratie. Eah preeptor used, to inlude NPs, other nurses, and individuals from other disiplines, is redentialed and liensed to pratie in his/her area of pratie. In addition, this area of pratie is learly relevant to meeting the objetives of the NP program/trak. Required Evidene of Meeting Criterion: (1) A opy of eah preeptor s urrent state authorization to pratie and national ertifiation, as appropriate; or (2) Doumentation of the method for verifying that preeptor lienses are urrent and available at the linial faility if not submitted diretly to the program. 15

16 Criterion IV.B.3.b: A preeptor has eduational preparation appropriate to his/her area(s) of supervisory responsibility and at least one year of linial experiene. Eah preeptor has eduational preparation or extensive linial experiene in the linial or ontent area in whih he/ she is teahing or providing linial supervision. A newly prepared liniian has at least one year of linial experiene in the population-foused area of pratie and role prior to providing linial supervision. Required Evidene of Meeting Criterion: Preeptor profiles, inluding title, disipline, redentials, evidene of liensure/approval/reognition, eduation, years in role, site (e.g., pediatris, family, adult, or women s health), types of patients (aute, hroni, in-hospital, et.), type of linial supervision, and number of students supervised onurrently. (See Sample Form B.) Criterion IV.B.3.: Preeptors are oriented to program/trak requirements and expetations for oversight and evaluation of NP students. Clinial preeptors are oriented so they understand the learning goals of the linial experiene and the level of progression that the student has attained. The NP faulty interfaes losely with preeptors to assure appropriate linial experienes for students. Required Evidene of Meeting Criterion: Desription of the preeptor orientation and methods used for maintaining ongoing ontat between NP faulty and preeptors. A opy of preeptor orientation information. V: FACULTY Criterion V.A.1: NP programs/traks have suffiient faulty with the preparation and urrent expertise to adequately support the professional role development and linial management ourses for NP pratie. For suessful implementation of the urriulum, faulty have the preparation, knowledge-base, and linial skills appropriate to their area of teahing responsibility. Reognizing that no individual faulty member an fill all roles, NP programs/traks maintain a suffiient number of qualified faulty who have the knowledge and ompetene appropriate to the area of teahing responsibility and to meet the objetives of the program and individual population-foused traks. Interrelated indiators that may demonstrate suffiieny of faulty may inlude the following: Student performane on ertifiation examinations. Whether overall faulty workload allows time for responsibilities, suh as linial plaements, urriulum development, student advising, interviewing, teahing, and program outome assessment. Whether faulty evaluations reflet ability to manage all assignments. Whether student evaluations reflet ability to obtain faulty assistane/guidane. Required Evidene of Meeting Criterion: Copies of faulty profiles inluding redentials, liensure/ approval/reognition, linial and didati teahing responsibilities, and other faulty responsibilities. (See Sample Form C.) An evaluation proess that inludes student, preeptor, and faulty appraisals enompassing elements determined by the program that may inlude, but are not limited to, evidene of: Assignment of faulty with the appropriate expertise to teah theoretial and linial ourses; Faulty knowledgeable and prepared to integrate meaningful use of tehnology in ourse and linial assignments; Faulty workload assignments that provide adequate time for ourse preparation, oversight, delivery, timely and adequate feedbak to students on assignments, and integration of ourse evaluations into a ontinual quality improvement proess; and/or Faulty development in effetive teahing pedagogies, information tehnology, and advanes in the healthare delivery environment affeting NP pratie. Criterion V.A.2: NP program faulty who teah the linial omponents of the program/trak maintain urrent liensure and national ertifiation. NP program faulty inlude individuals with diverse expertise and emphasis in researh, teahing, and/or linial pratie. While it may be diffiult for some faulty to balane researh, pratie, and teahing responsibilities, all faulty are enouraged to maintain national ertifiation. However, it is imperative that faulty who teah linial omponents 16