State boards of nursing regulate nursing as they approve and monitor programs of nursing so that they meet minimum standards of education. Programs of nursing ultimately prepare graduates of programs to practice in state jurisdictions. State boards give the nursing program the opportunity to open its doors, to function, and to offer a program which meets minimum requirements to prepare graduates for safe practice. It is because regulatory bodies differ from state to state. Their focus is on meeting minimum criteria for program delivery.
Minimum standards vary from state to state.
This can lead to fragmentation of regulation oversight and may ultimately have an influence on the quality of nursing programs in the state. New York State has had an additional stress on the regulation and quality management of its nursing programs. Philosophical changes in the role of the government brought on by a new Republican governor, along with severe economic conditions and large decreases in the state budget, have severely impeded the ability of the state agency to regulate nursing programs. Concerns about the quality of graduates extends to the quality of nursing practice and also the quality of students entering graduate programs of nursing. The consumer or student also has a right to expect a certain level of quality and preparation in nursing programs.