Minnesota Administrative Rules

6301.2340 REQUIRED CRITERIA FOR NURSING EDUCATION PROGRAMS.

Subpart 1.

Controlling body.

The controlling body proposing a program or continuing a program must:

A.

be a Minnesota public or private postsecondary educational institution that is accredited by a regional or national accrediting association for postsecondary institutions recognized by the United States Department of Education; and

B.

provide adequate fiscal, human, physical, clinical, and technical learning resources to support program processes, security, and outcomes.

Subp. 1a.

Nondegree granting program.

An advanced practice program that is operated by a nondegree granting body must provide documentation of the following:

A.

approval from the Minnesota Office of Higher Education to provide postsecondary education in Minnesota;

B.

an agreement with a controlling body as defined in subpart 1;

C.

the degrees awarded to graduates of the program by each educational institution; and

D.

that students were enrolled as of January 1, 2015.

Subp. 2.

Organization and administration.

The organization, administration, and implementation of the nursing education program shall be consistent with this chapter, Minnesota Statutes, sections 148.171 to 148.285, and other applicable statutes and rules.

Subp. 3.

Nursing education program.

A.

The nursing education program must:

(1)

be an integral part of a governing academic institution;

(2)

implement a comprehensive, systematic plan for ongoing evaluation that is based on program outcomes and stakeholder input regarding competence and safety. The ongoing evaluation plan must provide for continuous improvement;

(3)

provide a curriculum to enable the student to develop the competence necessary for the level, scope, and standards of nursing practice consistent with the type of licensure;

(4)

ensure students of practical and professional programs:

(a)

have learning activities with faculty oversight to acquire and demonstrate competence in clinical settings with patients across the life span and with patients throughout the whole wellness, acute, and chronic illness continuum;

(b)

have diverse learning activities including clinical simulations to acquire and demonstrate competence. The faculty must have oversight over the learning activities; and

(c)

provide input into the development, implementation, and evaluation of the program;

(5)

ensure students of advanced practice programs:

(a)

have learning activities to acquire and demonstrate competence in clinical settings with patients in at least one population focus. The faculty must have oversight over the learning activities;

(b)

have diverse learning activities, including clinical simulations, to acquire and demonstrate competence. The faculty must have oversight over the learning activities;

(c)

who are prepared for more than one population focus or combined roles have content and clinical experience in both functional roles and population foci; and

(d)

provide input into the development, implementation, and evaluation of the program;

(6)

ensure the director of practical and professional programs:

(a)

is academically and experientially qualified to accomplish the mission, goals, and expected student and faculty outcomes;

(b)

has a graduate degree in nursing from a regionally or nationally accredited college or university recognized by the United States Department of Education, by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or its successors, or by a comparable organization if the graduate degree is from an educational institution from a foreign country;

(c)

has a current unencumbered Minnesota registered nurse license and current registration;

(d)

is vested with the administrative authority to accomplish the mission, goals, and expected program outcomes;

(e)

provides effective leadership to the program in achieving its mission, goals, and expected program outcomes;

(f)

is given adequate time and resources to fulfill the role and responsibilities;

(g)

communicates information about the program that is accurate, complete, consistent, and readily available; and

(h)

informs the board within 30 days of a change in the director, the name of the program, the name of the controlling body, the address of the program at each site where the program is offered, the addition or termination of a site of the program, the address of the controlling body, or control of the program. Changes in control of the program include sharing control with another body, deleting a body from sharing control, transferring control in whole or in part to another body, or merging programs formerly controlled by other bodies;

(7)

ensure the director of the advanced practice program:

(a)

is academically and experientially qualified to accomplish the mission, goals, and expected student and faculty outcomes;

(b)

has a doctoral degree from a regionally or nationally accredited college or university recognized by the United States Department of Education, by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or its successors, or by a comparable organization if the graduate degree is from a foreign country;

(c)

effective January 1, 2025, holds a graduate degree with a major in nursing and a doctorate in nursing or a health-related field from a regionally or nationally accredited college or university recognized by the United States Department of Education, by the Council of Higher Education Accreditation or successors, or by a comparable organization if the graduate degree is from a foreign country;

(d)

has a current unencumbered Minnesota registered nurse license and current registration;

(e)

is vested with the administrative authority to accomplish the mission, goals, and expected program outcomes;

(f)

provides effective leadership to the program in achieving its mission, goals, and expected program outcomes;

(g)

is given adequate time and resources to fulfill the role and responsibilities;

(h)

communicates information about the program that is accurate, complete, consistent, and readily available; and

(i)

informs the board within 30 days of a change in the director, the lead faculty member of a program track, the name of the program, the name of the controlling body, or the address of the program at each site where the program is offered; the addition or termination of a site of the program; or a change in the address of the controlling body or control of the program. Changes in control of the program include sharing control with another body, deleting a body from sharing control, transferring control in whole or in part to another body, or merging programs formerly controlled by other bodies;

(8)

ensure advanced practice nursing program faculty who coordinate or lead a program track are:

(a)

educationally prepared;

(b)

nationally certified in the same role and population focus; and

(c)

hold an unencumbered license as a registered nurse and as an advanced practice registered nurse with current registration in Minnesota;

(9)

ensure general principles for faculty include:

(a)

academic preparation for the areas in which they teach;

(b)

experiential preparation in the areas they teach;

(c)

sufficiency in number to support the program outcomes;

(d)

provision of opportunities for ongoing development in the science of education;

(e)

nursing faculty in practical and professional nursing programs hold unencumbered licensure as a registered nurse with current registration in Minnesota;

(f)

nursing faculty in advanced practice nursing programs hold unencumbered licensure as a registered nurse and as an advanced practice registered nurse with current registration in Minnesota; and

(g)

nonnursing faculty are sufficient in number, utilization, and credentials to meet program goals and outcomes;

(10)

ensure practical nursing program faculty have a baccalaureate or graduate degree in nursing from a regionally or nationally accredited college or university recognized by the United States Department of Education, by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or successors, or by a comparable organization if the baccalaureate- or graduate-level degree is from a foreign country;

(11)

ensure professional nursing program faculty have a graduate degree for full-time faculty and the majority of part-time faculty hold a graduate degree from a regionally or nationally accredited college or university recognized by the United States Department of Education, by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or successors, or by a comparable organization if the baccalaureate- or graduate-level degree is from a foreign country. If the major of the graduate degree is not in nursing, the faculty must hold a baccalaureate degree with a major in nursing;

(12)

ensure advanced practice nursing program faculty have a graduate degree in a health-related field in a clinical specialty from a regionally or nationally accredited college or university recognized by the United States Department of Education, by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or successors, or by a comparable organization if the graduate-level degree is from a foreign country;

(13)

effective January 1, 2025, ensure advanced practice nursing faculty have a baccalaureate or graduate degree with a major in nursing and a graduate degree in nursing or a health-related field in a clinical specialty from a regionally or nationally accredited college or university recognized by the United States Department of Education, by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or successors, or by a comparable organization if the baccalaureate- or graduate-level degree is from a foreign country;

(14)

ensure nursing faculty in advanced practice nursing programs are educationally prepared and nationally certified in the same role and population focus if curricular content and student learning activities are specific to an identified role and population focus;

(15)

ensure responsibilities of nursing faculty include:

(a)

developing, implementing, evaluating, and updating the purpose, philosophy, objectives, and organizational framework of the nursing education program;

(b)

designing, implementing, and evaluating the curriculum using a written plan;

(c)

developing, evaluating, and revising student admission, progression, retention, and graduation policies within the policies of the governing body;

(d)

participating in academic advising and guidance of students;

(e)

planning and providing theoretical, clinical, and simulated clinical learning activities that reflect an understanding of the philosophy, objectives, and curriculum of the nursing education program; and

(f)

evaluating student achievement of curricular objectives and outcomes related to nursing knowledge and practice;

(16)

maintain minimum standard on the practical or professional licensure examination of greater than 75 percent for candidates from the program who, during any January 1 through December 31 period, wrote the licensing examination for the first time; and

(17)

ensure associate degree professional nursing programs provide advanced standing and transition experiences for qualified licensed practical nurses.

B.

High-fidelity simulation may be used in part to meet the requirements of item A, subitem (4), units (a) and (b), when:

(1)

equipment and resources, including the number of nursing faculty, to support student learning are sufficient;

(2)

nursing faculty with documented education and training in the use of simulation develop, implement, and evaluate the simulation experience;

(3)

the design, implementation, and evaluation of the simulation is based on nationally recognized evidence-based standards for simulation;

(4)

the simulation provides an opportunity for each student to demonstrate clinical competence while in the role of the nurse;

(5)

prebriefing and debriefing are conducted by nursing faculty with subject matter expertise and training in simulation using evidence-based techniques; and

(6)

high-fidelity simulation is utilized for no more than half of the time designated for meeting clinical learning requirements.

Statutory Authority:

MS s 148.191

History:

35 SR 1974; 41 SR 599

Published Electronically:

December 22, 2016