NCSBN s Distance Education Guidelines for Prelicensure Nursing Programs

NCSBN s Distance Education Guidelines for Prelicensure Nursing Programs NCSBN s Virtual Conference on Distance Educa8on in Prelicensure Programs Nancy Spector, PhD, RN, FAAN Bobby Lowery, PhD, FNP- BC, FAANP 1

Distance Learning Educa8on CommiGee Bobby Lowery, NC Board member, Chair Cynthia Gustafson, MT, EO Crystal Higgins, NE, Board member Michelle Mayhew, WV- PN, Board staff Nancy Murphy, SC, EO Sabita Persaud, MD, Board member Paula Saxby, VA, Board staff Mindy Schaffner, WA, Board staff Betsy Houchen, OH, Board Liaison Nancy Spector, NCSBN Staff

Background IOM Future of Nursing report Increasing numbers of distance educa8on programs BON and educator ques8ons Opportunity to review regulatory standards

2013-14 Charges 1. Iden8fy current and evolving regulatory issues related to distance learning educa8on programs. 2. Develop recommenda8ons for prelicensure distance learning programs.

Mee8ngs Sept. 23, 2013 (Conference Call) Oct. 7-8, 2013 Nov. 15, 2013 (Conference Call) Dec. 5-6, 2013 Feb. 7, 2014 (Conference Call) March 12-13, 2014 March 25, 2014 (Conference Call)

Ac8vi8es Membership conference call Poll to membership on each new standard

Ac8vi8es (Con8nued) Presenta8on at midyear, followed by mee8ng Developed recommenda8ons for prelicensure programs August 2014 adopted Model Act/Rules suppor8ng guidelines 7

Defini8ons 1) Home state Where the program has legal domicile 2) Host state State/jurisdic8on outside the home state where students par8cipate in clinical experiences or didac8c courses

Defini8ons 3) Distance Educa8on Instruc8on offered by any means where the student and faculty are in separate physical loca8ons. Teaching methods may be synchronous or asynchronous and shall facilitate and evaluate learning in compliance with BON approval status/ regula8ons.

Five Guidelines for Prelicensure Programs 1. Distance learning prelicensure nursing educa8on programs shall meet the same approval guidelines as any other prelicensure nursing educa8on program in the home state. Ra8onale: The mode of instruc8on should not alter the requirements.

Five Guidelines for Prelicensure Programs 2. The home state/jurisdic8on approves prelicensure nursing educa8on programs, including distance educa8on programs. Ra8onale: BONs approve prelicensure programs that have legal domicile in their states/ jurisdic8ons, whether tradi8onal or distance educa8on.

Five Guidelines for Prelicensure Programs 3. Prelicensure nursing educa8on programs in the home state provide oversight over the students in the host states and are responsible for the students supervision. Ra8onale: Students are under the auspices of the nursing educa8on program where it is regulated.

Five Guidelines for Prelicensure Programs 4. (part I) Faculty who teach clinical experiences for a prelicensure nursing program by means of distance educa8on shall hold a current and ac8ve nursing license or privilege to prac8ce, which is not encumbered, and meet licensure requirements in the state/jurisdic8on where the pa8ent is located. Ra8onale: Protec8on of the pa8ent.

Five Guidelines for Prelicensure Programs 4. (part II) Faculty who only teach didac8c content for prelicensure nursing educa8on programs by means of distance educa8on shall hold a current and ac8ve nursing license or privilege to prac8ce, which is not encumbered, and meet licensure requirements in the home state where the program is approved. Ra8onale: Added as an exemp8on in the Model Act under RN and LPN/VN Licensure and Exemp8ons (see later)

Five Guidelines for Prelicensure Programs 5. BONs will communicate through their annual reports about prelicensure nursing educa8on programs that have students enrolled in clinical experiences in host states. Ra8onale: Some BONs are interested in knowing which out- of- state programs have students taking distance educa8on in their states.

Regulatory Standards for Nursing Educa8on Prelicensure Distance Educa8on Programs

Model Rule Change Remove the following language (in red) from the Model Rules, reword, and move to the Act: 6.1.2. Required Criteria for Nursing Educa8on Programs 3. Faculty supervised clinical prac8ce e. BON determines the approval process when clinical experiences cross state/jurisdic8on borders, and nursing educa8on programs shall comply with the process.

Model Act Change Ar8cle VI, Prelicensure Nursing Educa8on, Sec8on I Approval Standards: Add: e. The BON where the program has legal domicile determines the approval process when educa8on crosses state/jurisdic8on borders.

Model Act Change In RN/LPN Licensure exemp8ons, added underlined: 3. The individual is engaged in this state as a guest lecturer at a nursing educa8on program, con8nuing educa8on program or in- service presenta8on, or the individual is teaching didac8c content, via distance educa8on, for an approved prelicensure program.

Related Resources for BONs Web page of Host State requirements White paper with explana8on about the guidelines and informa8on about distance educa8on Virtual conference

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Timeline for the Future

Next Steps. APRN Distance Learning Educa8on CommiGee to develop guidelines based on the prelicensure guidelines. 23

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