Senate Bill sb1496

    Florida Senate - 2002                                  SB 1496

    By Senator Campbell





    33-545-02

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to nursing training programs;

  3         amending s. 464.019, F.S.; revising provisions

  4         governing approval of training programs by the

  5         Board of Nursing; providing for the adoption of

  6         rules; exempting certain programs from board

  7         oversight; providing for the review of certain

  8         substandard programs; providing an effective

  9         date.

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11  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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13         Section 1.  Section 464.019, Florida Statutes, is

14  amended to read:

15         464.019  Approval of nursing programs.--

16         (1)  An institution desiring to conduct an approved

17  program for the education of professional or practical nurses

18  shall apply to the department and submit such evidence as may

19  be required to show that it complies with the provisions of

20  this part and with the rules of the board. The board shall

21  adopt rules regarding educational objectives, faculty

22  qualifications, required curriculum guidelines, administrative

23  procedures, and clinical training for initial program

24  approval. A program may not be fully approved or exempted from

25  these requirements prior to the graduation of its first class.

26  The Board of Nursing must be notified of any substantial

27  changes to an approved program, but may not review or

28  disapprove such changes unless the program has fallen below

29  the pass rate for students established in this section. The

30  application shall include a program review fee, as set by the

31  board, not to exceed $1,000.

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    Florida Senate - 2002                                  SB 1496
    33-545-02




  1         (2)  The board and the Florida Board of Education shall

  2  jointly adopt rules regarding educational objectives, faculty

  3  qualifications, curriculum guidelines, administrative

  4  procedures, and clinical training as are necessary to ensure

  5  that approved programs graduate nurses capable of competent

  6  practice under this part. The rules must consider student

  7  attrition rate standards and retention of qualified faculty

  8  and shall establish thresholds to serve as indicators of

  9  successful program performance. An annual report of nursing

10  education program performance shall be prepared for the

11  Florida Board of Education.

12         (3)  The department shall survey each institution

13  applying for approval and submit its findings to the board.

14  If the board is satisfied that the program meets the

15  requirements of this part and rules pursuant thereto, it shall

16  certify the program for approval and the department shall

17  approve the program.

18         (4)  Any fully approved nursing program that maintains

19  accreditation through an accrediting body recognized by the

20  United States Department of Education, or any nursing program

21  located within a regionally accredited institution of higher

22  education, is exempt from continuing oversight of the board if

23  it maintains a student pass rate on the National Clinical

24  Licensure Exam of not less than 7 percentage points below the

25  national average pass rate, as reported annually by the

26  National Council of State Boards of Nursing.

27         (5)  If an institution's rate drops below the standard

28  established in subsection (4) for 3 consecutive years, the

29  program must be reviewed by the Board of Nursing. The board

30  may take necessary action to assist the program to return to

31  compliance. (4)  If the board, through an investigation by the

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    Florida Senate - 2002                                  SB 1496
    33-545-02




  1  department, finds that an approved program no longer meets the

  2  required standards, it may place the program on probationary

  3  status until such time as the standards are restored.  If a

  4  program fails to correct these conditions within a specified

  5  period of time, the board may rescind the approval.  Any

  6  program having its approval rescinded shall have the right to

  7  reapply.

  8         (6)(5)  Provisional approval of new programs may be

  9  granted pending the licensure results of the first graduating

10  class.

11         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2002.

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14                          SENATE SUMMARY

15    Revises provisions relating to nursing training programs.
      Establishes program approval requirements. Provides for
16    the adoption of rules. Exempts certain programs from
      board oversight. Provides for the review of other
17    programs. (See bill for details.)

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.