Section 172-97-009 - CURRICULUM - CORE EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS The program must have a curriculum that enables students to develop the nursing knowledge, skills and abilities necessary for the level of licensure. An organized pattern, developed by the nurse faculty for the continuity and sequence of courses and related concurrent clinical instruction, must provide for progression of knowledge, skills, abilities, and attitudes of nursing students. Curricula will be revised as necessary to maintain a program that reflects advances in health care and its delivery.
009.01STANDARDS. The curriculum, as defined by nursing education, professional and practice standards, must include:(A) Experiences that promote the development and subsequent demonstration of evidence-based clinical judgment, skill in clinical management, and the professional commitment to collaborate in continuously improving the quality and safety of the healthcare system for patients.(B) Evidence-based learning experiences and methods of instruction, including distance education methods, consistent with the written curriculum plan.(C) Coursework including, but not limited to:(i) Content in the biological, physical, social and behavioral sciences to provide a foundation for safe and effective nursing practice;(ii) Content regarding professional responsibilities, scope of practice, legal and ethical issues, history and trends in nursing and health care; and(iii) Didactic content and supervised clinical experience in the prevention of illness and the promotion, restoration, and maintenance of health in patients across the lifespan and from diverse cultural, ethnic, social and economic backgrounds. Patient experiences must occur in a variety of clinical settings and must include: (1) Integrating patient safety principles throughout the didactic and clinical coursework;(2) Using information technology to communicate and manage knowledge, mitigate error, and support decision making;(3) Employing evidence-based practice to integrate best research with clinical expertise and client values for optimal care, including skills to identify and apply best practices to nursing care;(4) Providing client-centered, culturally competent care by: (a) Respecting client differences, values, preferences and expressed needs;(b) Involving clients in decision-making and care management;(c) Coordinating and managing care transitions or continuous care; and(d) Explaining appropriate and accessible interventions to patients and populations that may positively affect their ability to achieve healthy lifestyles;(5) Collaborating with interdisciplinary teams to foster open communication, mutual respect, and shared decision making in order to achieve quality patient care; and(6) Participating in quality improvement processes to measure client outcomes, identify hazards and errors, and develop changes in processes of client care.009.02ADDITIONAL CURRICULUM REQUIREMENTS. All nursing programs must meet the following additional curriculum requirements:(A) Experiences which promote the development of leadership and management skills and professional socialization consistent with the level of licensure; and(B) Delivery of instruction by distance education methods must be consistent with the program curriculum plan and enable students to meet the goals, competencies and objectives of the educational program and standards of the Board.009.03LEARNING EXPERIENCES. The curriculum must provide for learning experiences that prepare the student to identify and intervene in actual or potential health problems of individuals, families, or groups. Nursing actions must be directed toward maintaining or improving health status, based on the nursing assessment and through the execution of nursing care or therapeutic regimens prescribed by any person lawfully authorized to prescribe. Learning experiences, methods of instruction, and evaluation of student accomplishment will:(A) Be planned, implemented and evaluated by the faculty with provisions for student input;(B) Reflect the organizing framework and objectives of the nursing education program;(C) Be organized logically and sequenced appropriately;(D) Provide supervised clinical experience to prepare the student for the safe practice of nursing and shall will include development of skills in direct patient care; making clinical judgments; care and management of both individuals and groups of patients across the lifespan and delegation to and supervision of, as appropriate to level of education, other healthcare providers;(E) Provide clinical hours comparable to those provided by an approved program of equivalent size and program type or, in the case of no equivalent program, clinical hours scaled relative to an approved program;(F) Provide clinical experiences such as observation, simulation, staff nurse supported, dedicated education unit, adjunct or preceptor, that are supervised by qualified faculty;(G) Measure the students' competencies based on the students' demonstration of care management and decision making skills when providing patient care in a variety of clinical situations and care settings; and(H) Be comprised of sufficient hours to meet these standards, be supervised by educationally and clinically qualified faculty, and ensure students' ability to practice at an entry level.009.04SYLLABI. Current syllabi must be available at the educational institution.009.05CHALLENGE PROCEDURE. Programs permitting students to challenge selected courses for credit must have written policies governing the challenge procedure.009.06CURRICULUM REVISIONS. Consultation from the Board is available when curriculum revisions are being considered. Plans for major curriculum revisions must be submitted to the Board for approval 3 months before they are implemented and must include the rationale and indicate the present plan as well as the proposed change and expected outcome. Major curriculum changes include:(A) Changes in program outcomes which alter the present curriculum;(B) Changes in the length of the program;(C) Changes in the number of hours of didactic instruction or clinical instruction;(D) Reorganization of the entire curriculum; and(E) Additions, deletions, and substitutions of support courses or nursing electives.172 Neb. Admin. Code, ch. 97, § 009
Amended effective 8/10/2021