Senate Bill sb1496e1

    CS for SB 1496                           First Engrossed (ntc)



  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 must be notified of any substantial changes to an

27  approved program, but may not review or disapprove such

28  changes unless the program has fallen below the pass rate for

29  students established in this section. The board may not adopt

30  a rule that would prohibit any qualified institution from

31  placing a student in a facility for clinical experience,


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    CS for SB 1496                           First Engrossed (ntc)



  1  regardless of whether more than one nursing program is using

  2  the same facility for clinical experience. The application

  3  shall include a program review fee, as set by the board, not

  4  to exceed $1,000.

  5         (2)  The board shall adopt rules regarding educational

  6  objectives, faculty qualifications, curriculum guidelines,

  7  administrative procedures, and clinical training as are

  8  necessary to ensure that approved programs graduate nurses

  9  capable of competent practice under this part. The rules must

10  consider student attrition rate standards and retention of

11  qualified faculty and shall establish thresholds to serve as

12  indicators of successful program performance.

13         (3)  The department shall survey each institution

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

15  If the board is satisfied that the program meets the

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

17  certify the program for approval and the department shall

18  approve the program.

19         (4)  Any fully approved nursing program that maintains

20  accreditation through a nursing accrediting body recognized by

21  the United States Department of Education is exempt from

22  review by the board if it maintains a student pass rate on the

23  National Clinical Licensure Exam of not less than 10

24  percentage points below the national average pass rate, as

25  reported annually by the National Council of State Boards of

26  Nursing.

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

28  established in subsection (4) for 2 consecutive years, the

29  program must be reviewed by the board. The board may take

30  necessary action to assist the program to return to

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


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    CS for SB 1496                           First Engrossed (ntc)



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