r . 

EA. RNEX- GENERAL 

~FTEXAS 

Mrs. Marjorie Taber Ogle 

Executive Secretary 

Board of Vocational Nurse 

Examiners 

1008 Sam Houston Building 

Austin, Texas 78701 

Dear Mrs. Ogle: 

Opinion No. M-738 

Be: May persons such as 

military hospital corpsmen, 

who complete nursing courses 

which are not accredited 

by State Boards of Nursing, 

receive credit for such 

training or be offered 

advanced standing examinations toward a license as a 

vocational nurse, under 

Article 4528~. V.C.S. 

In requesting the opinion of this office, you have provided 

the following information: 

"We receive numerous requests from military 

hospital corpsmen, and others who,,completed nursing 

courses in programs which were not accredited by 

state boards of nursing, who desire application of 

credit toward either enrollment in an approved school 

of vocational nursing or for licensing examination. 

"The Vocational Nurse Act, Article 4528~ of 

Vernon's Civil Statutes, Section 5a. requires duration 

of enrollment of not less than twelve (12) months in 

an accredited school of vocational nursing for eligibility for licensing examination. 

"The Board of Vocational Nurse Examiners would like 

to know whether schools of vocational nursing could be 

permitted to offer advanced standing examinations 

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. l 

Mrs. Marjorie Taber Ogle, page 2 (M-738) 

(challenging courses). If successful, could credit be 

applied toward fulfillment of curriculum requirements 

to the extent of graduation without an actual 12 

months time spent in the school? May the Board accept 

such graduation for licensing examination?" 

Among the requirements for admission to the license 

examination is the following, from Section 5(a), Article 4528c, 

Vernon's Civil Statutes: > 

. ..and has completed an accredited course 

of not less than twelve (12) months in an accredited 

school for training Vocational Nurses. An accredited 

school as used herein shall mean one accredited by 

the Board." 

The Board of Vocational Nurse Examiners has the duty of 

prescribing, surveying and accrediting courses of study for 

individual schools of vocational nursing. Such curricula 

must, according to statute, be based upon a twelve-month period. 

We cannot say that in all cases a twelve-month curriculum 

must result in a student spending precisely twelve months at 

his or her studies. We view it as being perfectly possible 

for an industrious,and capable student to double up on courses 

or laboratory work, and thus complete an entire twelve-month 

curriculum in less than twelve months time, if the curriculum 

offered by the school and approved by the Board is structured so as 

to permit such acceleration. If a school desires to offer advanced 

standing examinations to persons with some prior training, and the 

Board determines that the basis upon which such examinations are 

offered properly merges with the requirement for a twelve-month 

curriculum, it is our view that there would be no violation of 

either the letter or the spirit of the statute. The key fact is 

that the individual must clearly demonstrate his educational level 

in a manner sufficient to qualify him for a certificate of 

graduation from the school of vocational nursing. Normal procedure 

will find the great majority of students following the, customary 

steps in the curriculum, but we find nothing improper in permitting 

particularly qualified individuals to shorten the time period 

necessary for graduation. 

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/ . 

Mrs. Marjorie Taber Ogle, page 3 (M-738) 

We do not believe that the Board could properly authorize 

the granting of credit for course work completed at a nonaccredited school of nursing, no matter what the reason for 

such non-accreditation may be. It is our opinion that any educational experience so acquired may be utilized only through 

advanced standing examinations, if such examinations are 

acceptable to the Board in the exercise of its sound discretion 

in approving individual school curricula. 

The possession of a certificate of graduations from an 

accredit school of vocational nursing entitles an individual to 

admission to the licensing examination conducted by the State 

Board of Vocational Nurse Examiners. 

SUMMARY 

The Board of Vocational Nurse Examiners 

has the power to accredit schools of vocational 

nursing that offer advanced standing examinations 

to persons who can demonstrate experie,nc,e and 

qualification for such 

truly yours, 

n 

C. MARTIN 

General of Texas 

Prepared by Malcolm Quick 

Assistant Attorney General 

APPROVED: 

OPINION COMMITTEE 

Kerns Taylor, Chairman 

W. E. Allen, Co-Chairman 

Robert Davis 

Joe K. Longley 

David Longoria 

Sarah Phillips 

EEADE F. GRIFFIN 

Staff Legal Assistant 

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Mrs. Marjorie Taber Ogle, page 4 

ALFRED WALKER 

Executive Assistant 

NOLA WHITE 

First Assistant 

F L 

(M-738) 

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