Sec. 301.157. PROGRAMS OF STUDY AND APPROVAL

(a) The board shall prescribe three programs of study to prepare a person to receive an initial license as a registered nurse under this chapter as follows:

(1) a baccalaureate degree program that is conducted by an educational unit in nursing that is a part of a senior college or university and that leads to a baccalaureate degree in nursing;

(2) an associate degree program that is conducted by an educational unit in nursing within the structure of a college or a university and that leads to an associate degree in nursing; and

(3) a diploma program that is conducted by a single-purpose school, usually under the control of a hospital, and that leads to a diploma in nursing.

(a-1) A diploma program of study in this state that leads to an initial license as a registered nurse under this chapter and that is completed on or after December 31, 2014, must entitle a student to receive a degree on the student's successful completion of a degree program of a public or private institution of higher education accredited by an agency recognized by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

(b) The board shall:

(1) prescribe two programs of study to prepare a person to receive an initial vocational nurse license under this chapter as follows:

(A) a program conducted by an educational unit in nursing within the structure of a school, including a college, university, or proprietary school; and

(B) a program conducted by a hospital;

(2) prescribe and publish the minimum requirements and standards for a course of study in each program that prepares registered nurses or vocational nurses;

(3) prescribe other rules as necessary to conduct approved schools of nursing and educational programs for the preparation of registered nurses or vocational nurses;

(4) approve schools of nursing and educational programs that meet the board's requirements;

(5) select one or more national nursing accrediting agencies, recognized by the United States Department of Education and determined by the board to have acceptable standards, to accredit schools of nursing and educational programs; and

(6) deny or withdraw approval from a school of nursing or educational program that:

(A) fails to meet the prescribed course of study or other standard under which it sought approval by the board;

(B) fails to meet or maintain accreditation with the national nursing accrediting agency selected by the board under Subdivision (5) under which it was approved or sought approval by the board; or

(C) fails to maintain the approval of the state board of nursing of another state and the board under which it was approved.

(b-1) The board may not require accreditation of the governing institution of a school of nursing. The board shall accept the requirements established by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for accrediting the governing institution of a school of nursing. The governing institution of a professional nursing school, not including a diploma program, must be accredited by an agency recognized by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board or hold a certificate of authority from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board under provisions leading to accreditation of the institution in due course.

(c) A program approved to prepare registered nurses may not be less than two academic years or more than four calendar years.

(d) A person may not be certified as a graduate of any school of nursing or educational program unless the person has completed the requirements of the prescribed course of study, including clinical practice, of a school of nursing or educational program that:

(1) is approved by the board;

(2) is accredited by a national nursing accreditation agency determined by the board to have acceptable standards; or

(3) is approved by a state board of nursing of another state and the board, subject to Subsection (d-4).

(d-1) A school of nursing or educational program is considered approved by the board and, except as provided by Subsection (d-7), is exempt from board rules that require ongoing approval if the school or program:

(1) is accredited and maintains accreditation through a national nursing accrediting agency selected by the board under Subsection (b)(5); and

(2) maintains an acceptable pass rate as determined by the board on the applicable licensing examination under this chapter.

(d-2) A school of nursing or educational program that fails to meet or maintain an acceptable pass rate on applicable licensing examinations under this chapter is subject to review by the board. The board may assist the school or program in its effort to achieve compliance with the board's standards.

(d-3) A school or program from which approval has been withdrawn under this section may reapply for approval.

(d-4) The board may recognize and accept as approved under this section a school of nursing or educational program operated in another state and approved by a state board of nursing or other regulatory body of that state. The board shall develop policies to ensure that the other state's standards are substantially equivalent to the board's standards.

(d-5) The board shall streamline the process for initially approving a school of nursing or educational program under this section by identifying and eliminating tasks performed by the board that duplicate or overlap tasks performed by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board or the Texas Workforce Commission.

(d-6) The board, in cooperation with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Texas Workforce Commission, shall establish guidelines for the initial approval of schools of nursing or educational programs. The guidelines must:

(1) identify the approval processes to be conducted by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board or the Texas Workforce Commission;

(2) require the approval process identified under Subdivision (1) to precede the approval process conducted by the board; and

(3) be made available on the board's Internet website and in a written form.

(d-7) A school of nursing or educational program approved under Subsection (d-1) shall:

(1) provide the board with copies of any reports submitted to or received from the national nursing accrediting agency selected by the board;

(2) notify the board of any change in accreditation status; and

(3) provide other information required by the board as necessary to evaluate and establish nursing education and workforce policy in this state.

(d-8) For purposes of Subsection (d-4), a nursing program is considered to meet standards substantially equivalent to the board's standards if the program:

(1) is part of an institution of higher education located outside this state that is approved by the appropriate regulatory authorities of that state;

(2) holds regional accreditation by an accrediting body recognized by the United States secretary of education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation;

(3) holds specialty accreditation by an accrediting body recognized by the United States secretary of education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, including the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission;

(4) requires program applicants to be a licensed practical or vocational nurse, a military service corpsman, or a paramedic, or to hold a college degree in a clinically oriented health care field with demonstrated experience providing direct patient care; and

(5) graduates students who:

(A) achieve faculty-determined program outcomes, including passing criterion-referenced examinations of nursing knowledge essential to beginning a registered nursing practice and transitioning to the role of registered nurse;

(B) pass a criterion-referenced summative performance examination developed by faculty subject matter experts that measures clinical competencies essential to beginning a registered nursing practice and that meets nationally recognized standards for educational testing, including the educational testing standards of the American Educational Research Association, the American Psychological Association, and the National Council on Measurement in Education; and

(C) pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses at a rate equivalent to the passage rate for students of approved in-state programs.

(d-9) A graduate of a clinical competency assessment program operated in another state and approved by a state board of nursing or other regulatory body of another state is eligible to apply for an initial license under this chapter if:

(1) the board allowed graduates of the program to apply for an initial license under this chapter continuously during the 10-year period preceding January 1, 2007;

(2) the program does not make any substantial changes in the length or content of its clinical competency assessment without the board's approval;

(3) the program remains in good standing with the state board of nursing or other regulatory body in the other state; and

(4) the program participates in the research study under Section 105.008, Health and Safety Code.

(d-10) In this section, the terms "clinical competency assessment program" and "supervised clinical learning experiences program" have the meanings assigned by Section 105.008, Health and Safety Code.

(d-11) Subsections (d-8), (d-9), (d-10), and (d-11) expire December 31, 2017. As part of the first review conducted under Section 301.003 after September 1, 2009, the Sunset Advisory Commission shall:

(1) recommend whether Subsections (d-8) and (d-9) should be extended; and

(2) recommend any changes to Subsections (d-8) and (d-9) relating to the eligibility for a license of graduates of a clinical competency assessment program operated in another state.

(e) The board shall give each person, including an organization, affected by an order or decision of the board under this section reasonable notice of not less than 20 days and an opportunity to appear and be heard regarding the order or decision. The board shall hear each protest or complaint from a person affected by a rule or decision regarding:

(1) the inadequacy or unreasonableness of any rule or order the board adopts; or

(2) the injustice of any order or decision of the board.

(f) Not later than the 30th day after the date an order is entered and approved by the board, a person is entitled to bring an action against the board in a district court of Travis County to have the rule or order vacated or modified, if that person:

(1) is affected by the order or decision;

(2) is dissatisfied with any rule or order of the board; and

(3) sets forth in a petition the principal grounds of objection to the rule or order.

(g) An appeal under this section shall be tried de novo as if it were an appeal from a justice court to a county court.

(h) The board, in collaboration with the nursing educators, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and the Texas Health Care Policy Council, shall implement, monitor, and evaluate a plan for the creation of innovative nursing education models that promote increased enrollment in this state's nursing programs.

Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1999. Amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 553, Sec. 1.011, 1.012, eff. Sept. 1, 2003. Amended by: Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 889 , Sec. 13, eff. September 1, 2007. Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 999 , Sec. 2, eff. June 19, 2009.