172 Neb. Admin. Code, ch. 97, § 007

Current through September 17, 2024

Section 172-97-007 - FACULTY

The program must hire and retain a qualified program director and faculty.

007.01DIRECTOR. The director of the nursing education program must be a registered nurse, hold an unencumbered license to practice in Nebraska, and is academically and experientially qualified to direct the program preparing graduates for the safe and effective practice of nursing. The director is accountable for the administration, planning, implementation and evaluation of the nursing education program.

007.01(A)PRELICENSURE PRACTICAL NURSING PROGRAM. Any person appointed director of a prelicensure practical nursing program must have:

(i) A minimum of a graduate degree in nursing;

(ii) 3 years of clinical experience; and

(iii) 3 years of nursing education experience.

007.01(B)PRELICENSURE REGISTERED NURSING PROGRAM. Any person appointed director of a prelicensure registered nursing program must have:

(i) A minimum of a graduate degree in nursing;

(ii) 3 years of clinical experience; and

(iii) 3 years of nursing education experience.

007.02FACULTY RATIOS. There must be sufficient faculty with educational preparation and nursing expertise to meet the objectives and purposes of the nursing education program. Factors which determine the number and qualifications of faculty include the type and length of program, number of students enrolled, number of students assigned to a clinical area, frequency of admissions, total responsibilities of the faculty, and number and location of clinical facilities.

(A) There must be a sufficient core of full-time faculty as set forth in 172 NAC 97-004(E), to assure consistent presentation of the curriculum, consistent application of policies, and consistent supervision of the clinical experiences;

(B) There must be no more than 10 students per faculty member, a 1:10 faculty-to-student ratio, in the clinical area. The clinical facility may require a lower number of students per faculty. A 1:8 faculty-to-student ratio is preferred; and

(C) For Dedicated Education Units (DEU's), 1 nursing faculty member may supervise up to 16 students in the clinical setting. Staff nurse clinical instructors must supervise no more than 2 students at a time.

007.03FACULTY QUALIFICATIONS. There must be written position descriptions of all faculty members, their qualifications, and their responsibility in the educational program.

007.03(A)TYPE OF NURSING PROGRAM. Qualifications for nursing faculty are outlined by program.

007.03(A)(i)PRACTICAL NURSING PROGRAM. Nursing faculty who teach in a program leading to licensure as a practical nurse must:

(1) Have an unencumbered registered nursing license to practice in Nebraska;

(2) Have a minimum of a baccalaureate degree in nursing. Faculty, except for adjunct clinical faculty, must have a minimum of a graduate degree in nursing or be making annual progress toward a graduate degree in nursing and complete it within 6 years of faculty appointment; and

(3) Have 2 years of clinical experience.

007.03(A)(ii)REGISTERED NURSING PROGRAM. Nursing faculty who teach in programs leading to licensure as a registered nurse must:

(1) Have an unencumbered registered nurse license to practice nursing in Nebraska;

(2) Have a minimum of a graduate degree in nursing or make annual progress toward a graduate degree in nursing and complete a degree within 6 years of faculty appointment; and

(3) Have 2 years of clinical experience.

007.03(B)OTHER FACULTY REQUIREMENTS. Other requirements for faculty in nursing programs include the following:

(i) All nursing faculty including clinical, full-time and adjunct, must complete a planned orientation;

(ii) Faculty teaching non-clinical nursing courses shall have advanced preparation and experience appropriate for the content being taught; and

(iii) If for any emergency reason a program employs a faculty member on a temporary basis who does not meet the requirements, the program must request a waiver of faculty qualifications for that specific situation. The waiver request must include the reason for the request, the time frame for the request, and what steps were taken to prevent the need for the waiver.

007.04DIRECTOR AND FACULTY RESPONSIBILITIES. Responsibilities and functions of the director and faculty of a nursing program include the following:

(A) Develop, implement, evaluate, and update the purpose, philosophy, organizational framework and program outcomes;

(B) Design, implement and evaluate the curriculum using a written plan;

(C) Develop, evaluate, and revise student admission, progression, retention, and graduation policies within the policies of the institution;

(D) Participate in academic advising and guidance of students;

(E) Provide theoretical instruction and clinical or practicum experiences;

(F) Supervise the instruction provided by preceptors;

(G) Assure that observational experiences comprise no more than 20% of the clinical experiences of any course;

(H) Evaluate student achievement of curricular outcomes related to nursing knowledge and practice;

(I) Provide for student evaluation of teaching effectiveness;

(J) Provide an orientation for new faculty; and

(K) Participate in activities which facilitate maintaining the faculty members' own nursing competence and professional expertise in the area of teaching responsibility and maintaining clinical competence through clinical experience, workshops, and inservice education.

007.05POLICIES AND PROCEDURES. Faculty policies and procedures must be available in writing and must include qualifications, rights and responsibilities of faculty members, the criteria for evaluation of performance, and promotion and tenure policies.

007.06RECORDS AND REPORTS. Written records of faculty decisions and committee reports must be maintained and available to all faculty.

007.07RESOURCES. The program must have clerical staff and other resources sufficient to meet the needs of the faculty and administration.

172 Neb. Admin. Code, ch. 97, § 007

Amended effective 8/10/2021