(a) Definitions. As used in this section:(1) Clinical education or clinical training shall mean planned practice-based learning experiences designed for the purpose of developing proficiency in the provision of safe and effective patient care, specific to the role and level of licensure or certification that the program leads to and shall adhere to the standards of this section. Simulated experience which meet the requirements of this section is a form of clinical education or clinical training.(2) Simulation experience shall mean planned learning experiences that represent actual or potential situations in clinical nursing practice and shall adhere to the standards of this section. Such learning experiences allow participants to develop or enhance clinical nursing competencies and provide an opportunity to analyze and respond to realistic situations in a simulated environment.(b)Programs that meet the education requirements for licensure as a registered professional nurse or licensed practical nurse.(1) The curriculum for a program that meets the education requirements for licensure as a registered professional nurse shall meet the following standards: (i) The program leading to the diploma in nursing shall include a minimum of the equivalent of 30 semester hours in nursing and shall be at least two years in length. (ii) The program leading to an associate degree with a major in nursing shall include a minimum of 30 semester hours or the equivalent in nursing. (iii) The program leading to a baccalaureate or higher degree with a major in nursing shall include a minimum or 40 semester hours or the equivalent in nursing. (2) The curriculum for a program that meets the education requirements for licensure as a licensed practical nurse shall meet the following standards:(i) The curriculum offered by an agency or institution other than a college shall be a minimum of nine months in length.(ii) The curriculum offered by a college shall be a minimum of two semesters or the equivalent in length.(i) All programs registered under this subdivision shall include clinical education or clinical training that meet the conditions set forth in subdivision (d) of this section and shall include patient care experiences and/or exposures to patients/populations across the lifespan and continuum of care. This shall include, but not be limited to, experience with:(a) adult patients in an acute care setting;(c) patients receiving treatment for acute and chronic psychiatric, behavioral, and/or cognitive conditions; and(d) maternal/newborn, postpartum and/or pregnant patients.(ii) subject to the approval of the department, a percentage of a program's total number of hours of clinical education may be met through simulation experience within the limits set forth in paragraph (2) of subdivision (d) of this section provided, however, that no patient/ population experience required under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph may be met solely through simulation experience. (b)Programs and courses in nursing other than those that prepare for licensure. (1) Nurse practitioner programs. (i) Definitions of terms. (a) For purposes of this paragraph, the term nurse practitioner program means an educational program which meets the requirements of this paragraph and which has as its objective the education of nurses who will, upon completion of their studies in such programs, be qualified to provide services, within the scope of practice permitted by section 6910 of the Education Law. (ii) Registration. No nurse practitioner program shall be offered until such program has been registered by the department. (iii) Admission. Licensure as a registered nurse in New York or another jurisdiction of the United States shall be required for admission to a registered program, except that in a combined program of education as a registered professional nurse and as a nurse practitioner, registered by the department or accredited by an accrediting agency acceptable to the department, the nurse practitioner component may be taken upon successful completion of the registered nurse component.(iv) Curriculum. The curriculum shall include, in addition to the requirements of subdivision (c) of section 52.2 of this Part: (a) classroom and clinical education designed to prepare nurse practitioners in the areas of diagnosis of illness and physical conditions and the performance of therapeutic and corrective measures within a specialty area of practice;(b) a pharmacology component of not less than three semester hours or the equivalent; to include instruction in drug management of clients in the nurse practitioner specialty area and instruction in New York State and Federal laws and regulations relating to prescriptions and recordkeeping; and(c) a preceptorship experience, supervised by a nurse practitioner, certified nurse midwife, or physician practicing in the specialty area of the program, of at least one semester in length or its equivalent.(v) Credential. Upon satisfactory completion of all components of the program including class, supervised clinical nursing practice, and preceptorship, a certificate of completion indicating the specialty area shall be issued to each individual by the sponsoring institution/ agency.(2) Other courses. No institution may offer courses in clinical nursing for students enrolled in basic nursing programs, or for graduates of State-approved nursing education programs who are not licensed and currently registered to practice nursing in New York, unless such courses have been registered by the department. (3) Clinical nurse specialist education programs. (i) Registration. A clinical nurse specialist education program is a master's degree, doctoral degree or post master's certificate program, which prepares graduates to practice as a clinical nurse specialist as permitted by section 6911 of the Education Law. No clinical nurse specialist education program shall be offered in this State until such program has been registered by the department. (ii) Admission. A clinical nurse specialist education program sponsor shall ensure that each student holds a baccalaureate degree in nursing and an unrestricted license and current registration as a registered professional nurse in New York State prior to enrolling the student in any preceptorship, course or other activity that includes clinical practice.(iii) Curriculum. The curriculum shall include, in addition to the requirements of subdivision (c) of section 52.2 of this Part, clinical education of at least five hundred hours which is supervised by a clinical nurse specialist, nurse practitioner or physician practicing in the specialty area of the clinical nurse specialist program.(iv) Credential. Upon satisfactory completion of all components of the registered clinical nurse specialist education program, a certificate of completion of a course of study for clinical nurse specialists shall be issued to each individual by the education program sponsor.(d) Clinical Education
(1) All programs registered under subdivisions (b) and (c) of this section for purposes of meeting the education requirements set forth in Article 139 of the Education Law shall include dedicated hours of clinical education or clinical training, or the equivalent, satisfactory to the department. Clinical education or clinical training shall:
(i) be planned and guided by program faculty sufficiently qualified to guide clinical education;
(ii) include experiential learning opportunities that require students to apply knowledge, skills, and judgment to the practice of nursing;
(iii) ensure each student has regular and substantive patient care experiences which shall include direct patient care and may also include indirect patient care experiences;
(iv) be of sufficient depth, breadth, and duration to ensure students have a reasonable opportunity to develop identified practice competencies necessary for safe and effective practice at the level of licensure or certification for which the program leads;
(v) ensure that each student, as a requirement for program completion, demonstrates proficiency in identified competencies through performance-based assessments assessed by program faculty;
(vi) be adequately supervised by program faculty and/or preceptors; and
(vii) include a written contract or agreement executed between the institution conducting the nursing program and any cooperating clinical facility or agency, which shall be signed by the responsible officer of each party and shall set forth the responsibilities of each party.
(2) Subject to the approval of the department, registered programs may deliver one-third of such clinical education or clinical training through simulation experience in accordance with the requirements of this subparagraph, provided however, nothing in this subparagraph shall reduce the minimum in-person or direct care requirements established by programmatic accreditors and certifying bodies. Simulation experience acceptable to the department for the purposes clinical education or clinical training shall:
(i) be designed, guided and supervised by program faculty and program staff with appropriate and relevant training, certification or accreditation, who may be assisted or supported by experts in simulation, in a nursing skills or clinical simulation laboratory setting;
(ii) include continued professional development opportunities for program faculty and program staff in simulation methods and best practices;
(iii) utilize theory-based, evidence-based, and standards-driven pedagogy;
(iv) require active student engagement in guided skills practice with instructional feedback;
(v) include formative and summative assessments of well-articulated competencies appropriate to the role and responsibilities of the learner;
(vi) use various types of fidelity through equipment and practice to replicate substantial aspects of clinical nursing practice and utilize relevant equipment and technologies as appropriate to the desired learning outcomes;
(vii) maintain continued compliance with the standards of program registration; and
(viii) respond to innovations or emerging educational needs, pursuant to regulation.
(3) Expedited process for requesting approval to implement simulation experience pursuant to subparagraph (2) of this section.
(i) Registered programs seeking to implement simulation experience as described in paragraph (2) of this subdivision shall submit a request for a curriculum change to the department.
(a) The curriculum change form used for this purpose shall be prescribed by the department and shall include the following information:
(1) a clear identification of the current number of clinical education or training hours by course and a brief description of how these hours are delivered and;
(2) the number of proposed hours of clinical education that will be met through simulation by course and a brief description of how those hours meet each of the requirements set forth in this section.
(b) For programs that are not in substantial compliance with department program requirements, the department may request additional information and materials.
(ii) The department shall act upon a program's submission to implement simulation experiences within twenty business days of receipt of a complete and properly submitted form.
(4) Notwithstanding paragraph (2) of this subdivision, to meet a particular educational need as determined by the commissioner, the commissioner may approve that more than one-third of such clinical training or clinical education may be met through simulation experience.
(e) (1) All programs registered on or before November 11, 2023:
(i) shall have until November 11, 2024 to conform their existing clinical education to the requirements set forth in subparagraph (i) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) and paragraph (1) of subdivision (d) of this section; and
(ii) shall be eligible, beginning November 11, 2023, for approval to offer one-third of their currently approved clinical education hours through simulation experience pursuant to paragraphs (2) and (3) of subdivision (d) of this section.
(2) All new programs registered after November 11, 2023 shall meet all of the requirements for clinical education set forth in this section as a condition of registration.
N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. Tit. 8 § 52.12
Amended, New York State Register October 1, 2014/Volume XXXVI, Issue 39, eff. 10/1/2014Amended New York State Register February 28, 2024/Volume XLVI, Issue 9, eff. 2/28/2024