Texas Administrative Code › Title 22 - EXAMINING BOARDS › Part 11 - TEXAS BOARD OF NURSING › Chapter 215 - PROFESSIONAL NURSING EDUCATION › Section 215.2 - Definitions

Current through Reg. 49, No. 28; July 12, 2024
Words and terms, when used in this chapter, shall have the
				  following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
(1) Affidavit of Graduation--an official
				Board form required in the initial licensure process that is signed by the
				approved nursing program dean/director verifying that the applicant has
				successfully completed all requirements for graduation from an approved
				professional nursing program that meets the requirements set forth in §
									215.9
				of this title (relating to Program of Study).
(2) Affiliating agency or clinical
				facility--a health care facility or agency providing clinical learning
				experiences for students.
(3)
				Alternative practice settings--settings providing opportunities for clinical
				learning experiences, including those whose primary function is not the
				delivery of health care.
(4)
				Approved professional nursing education program--a Board-approved professional
				nursing education program that meets the requirements set forth in §
									215.9
				of this title and prepares graduates to provide safe nursing care using
				concepts identified in the Differentiated Essential Competencies
				(DECs).
(5) Articulation--a planned
				process between two (2) or more educational systems to assist students in
				making a smooth transition from one (1) level of education to another without
				duplication in education.
(6)
				Board--the Texas Board of Nursing composed of members appointed by the Governor
				for the State of Texas.
(7) CANEP
				(Compliance Audit for Nursing Education Programs)--a document required by the
				Board to be submitted by the professional nursing education program's
				dean/director that serves as verification of the program's adherence to the
				requirements of this chapter.
(8)
				Career school or college--an educational entity as defined in Title 3, Texas
				Education Code, §
									132.001(1)
				as a "career school or college".
(9) Classroom instruction hours-hours
				allocated to didactic instruction and testing in nursing and non-nursing
				Board-required courses and content.
(10) Clinical learning
				experiences--faculty-planned and guided learning activities designed to assist
				students to meet the stated program and course outcomes and to safely apply
				knowledge and skills when providing nursing care to clients across the life
				span as appropriate to the role expectations of the graduates. These
				experiences occur in actual patient care clinical learning situations and in
				associated clinical conferences; in nursing skills and computer laboratories;
				and in simulated clinical settings, including high-fidelity, where the
				activities involve using planned objectives in a realistic patient scenario
				guided by trained faculty and followed by debriefing and evaluation of student
				performance. The clinical settings for faculty-supervised hands-on patient care
				include a variety of affiliating agencies or clinical practice settings,
				including, but not limited to: acute care and rehabilitation facilities;
				primary care settings; extended care facilities (long-term care and nursing
				homes); residential care settings; respite or day care facilities; community or
				public health agencies; and other settings where actual patients receive
				nursing care.
(11) Clinical
				preceptor--a registered nurse who meets the requirements in §
									215.10(j)(6) of
				this title (relating to Clinical Learning Experiences), who practices in the
				clinical setting, and who directly supervises clinical learning experiences for
				no more than two (2) students. A clinical preceptor assists in the evaluation
				of the student during the experiences and in acclimating the student to the
				role of nurse. A clinical preceptor facilitates student learning in a manner
				prescribed by a signed written agreement between the governing entity,
				preceptor, and affiliating agency (as applicable).
(12) Clinical teaching assistant--a
				registered nurse licensed in Texas, who is employed to assist in the clinical
				area and work under the supervision of a Master's or Doctoral prepared nursing
				faculty member and who meets the requirements of §
									215.10(j)(8) of
				this title.
(13) Conceptual
				framework--theories or concepts giving structure to the curriculum and guiding
				faculty in making decisions about curriculum development, implementation, and
				evaluation.
(14) Correlated theory
				and clinical practice--didactic and clinical experiences that have a reciprocal
				relationship or mutually complement each other.
(15) Course--organized subject content and
				related activities, that may include face-to-face and/or online didactic,
				laboratory, and/or clinical experiences, planned to achieve specific objectives
				within a given time period.
(16)
				Curriculum--course offerings, which in aggregate, make up the total learning
				activities in a program of study.
(17) Dean/director--a registered nurse who is
				accountable for administering a professional nursing education program, who
				meets the requirements as stated in §
									215.6(f)
				of this title (relating to Administration and Organization), and is approved by
				the Board.
(18) Declaratory Order
				of Eligibility--an order issued by the Board pursuant to Texas Occupations Code
				§
									301.257,
				determining the eligibility of an individual for initial licensure as a
				vocational or registered nurse and setting forth both the basis for potential
				ineligibility and the Board's determination of disclosed eligibility
				issues.
(19) Differentiated
				Essential Competencies (DECs)--the expected educational outcomes to be
				demonstrated by nursing students at the time of graduation, as published in the
Differentiated Essential Competencies of Graduates of Texas Nursing
				Programs Evidenced by Knowledge, Clinical Judgment, and Behaviors: Vocational
				(VN), Diploma/Associate Degree (Diploma/ADN), Baccalaureate Degree (BSN),
				2021
(DECs).
(20)
				Examination year--the period beginning January 1 and ending December 31 used
				for the purposes of determining a professional nursing education program's
				annual NCLEX-RN® examination pass rate.
(21) Extension site/campus--a location other
				than the program's main campus where a portion or all of the curriculum is
				provided.
(22) Faculty member--an
				individual employed to teach in the professional nursing education program who
				meets the requirements as stated in §
									215.7 of this
				title (relating to Faculty).
(23)
				Faculty waiver--a waiver granted by a dean or director of a professional
				nursing education program to an individual who meets the criteria specified in
				§215.7(e) of this title.
(24)
				Governing entity--the body with administrative and operational authority over a
				Board-approved professional nursing education program.
(25) Health care professional--an individual
				other than a registered nurse who holds at least a bachelor's degree in the
				health care field, including, but not limited to: a respiratory therapist,
				physical therapist, occupational therapist, dietitian, pharmacist, physician,
				social worker, and psychologist.
(26) MEEP (Multiple Entry-Exit Program)--an
				exit option which is a part of a professional nursing education program
				designed for students to complete course work and apply to take the
				NCLEX-PN® examination after they have successfully met all requirements
				needed for the examination.
(27)
				Mobility--the ability to advance without educational barriers.
(28) NEPIS (Nursing Education Program
				Information Survey)--a document required by the Board to be submitted by the
				professional nursing education program dean/director to provide annual
				workforce data.
(29) Non-nursing
				faculty--instructors who teach non-nursing content, such as pharmacology,
				pathophysiology, research, management and statistics, and who have educational
				preparation appropriate to the assigned teaching responsibilities.
(30) Nursing Clinical Judgment--the observed
				outcome of critical thinking and decision-making that uses nursing knowledge to
				observe and access presenting situations, identify a prioritized client
				concern, and generate the best possible evidence-based solutions in order to
				deliver safe client care. It is a decision-making model that is consistent with
				the nursing process model where the nurse determines and implements nursing
				intervention based on recognizing and analyzing patient cues (assessment and
				analysis), prioritizing hypotheses and generating solutions (planning), taking
				action (implementation), and evaluating outcomes.
(31) Objectives/Outcomes--expected student
				behaviors that are attainable and measurable.
(A) Program Objectives/Outcomes--broad
				statements describing student learning outcomes achieved upon
				graduation.
(B) Clinical
				Objectives/Outcomes--expected student behaviors for clinical learning
				experiences that provide evidence of progression of students' cognitive,
				affective, and psychomotor achievement in clinical practice across the
				curriculum.
(C) Course
				Objectives/Outcomes--expected student outcomes upon successful completion of
				specific course content, serving as a mechanism for the evaluation of student
				progression.