Board of Nursing
Chapter 851
Division 21
STANDARDS FOR APPROVAL OF EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN NURSING PREPARING CANDIDATES FOR LICENSURE AS PRACTICAL OR REGISTERED NURSES
851-021-0010
Approval of New Nursing Education Programs
(1) Step 1 - Letter of Intent:
(a) At minimum of one year in advance of the anticipated opening date, an educational institution or a program that is part of a corporate structure wishing to establish a new program in nursing must give written notification of intent to establish a new nursing education program to the Board representative, chief nurse executives of planned nursing practice experience sites, and to nursing program administrators of all existing OSBN-approved nursing education programs.
(b) The letter of intent must include information about size and type of program proposed, projected start date, student enrollment, geographic region and planned nursing practice experience sites.
(c) The nurse administrators and chief nurse executives, duly notified, have the option of responding. Such response must be sent to the appropriate Board representative within 30 days from the date on the letter of intent and must address potential adverse impacts to other programs or nursing practice experience entities.
(d) The Board representative must retain the letters of response and send a copy of the letters to the applicant within 45 days of the date on the applicant’s letter of intent. These letters must be included in the applicant’s preliminary application when submitted.
(2) Step 2 - Preliminary Application
(a) After receiving the letters of response from the Board representative, the applicant may make application for Preliminary approval.
(b) The preliminary application must address at minimum the following information:
(A) Purpose, size, and type of program proposed.
(B) Studies documenting the statewide need for graduates of the program. The study should also specifically address the need for the program in relation to the nursing needs of the geographic region to be served.
(C) An analysis of potential impact on other nursing programs in the state including:
(i) An analysis of current usage of potential nursing practice experience sites in the area proposed for student placements including impact on other programs placing students in nursing practice experience sites;
(ii) Projected number of faculty positions and availability of qualified faculty in the area proposed for nursing practice experience placements; and,
(iii) Letters of response from Oregon-approved nursing programs addressing specific concerns regarding adverse impact on current programs.
(D) Evidence of interactions with the Nurse Administrators of currently approved nursing programs in area of planned nursing practice experience placements to discuss the impact on those nursing programs.
(E) Availability of adequate practice sites for the program with supporting documentation from persons assigned to coordinate nursing practice experience placements for each facility showing facility size, average patient numbers, number of other programs hosted, and potential available placements.
(F) Plans for informing potential students of expected transportation and distance requirements for nursing practice experience placements.
(G) Evidence of administrative and financial support for development of a nursing program.
(H) Evidence of the appointment of a qualified Nurse Administrator and sufficient administrative support staff for program development.
(I) Anticipated student enrollment and proposed date of enrolment.
(J) A program that is part of a corporate structure must also address the current number of new programs in an approval process in other states, the program outcomes for nursing programs in other states inclusive of licensing examination pass rates, student retention rates, employment rates, the current faculty vacancy rate:
(i) Provide any contracts, charters, or documents that reflect the relationship of the Oregon program to the corporate structure; and
(ii) Evidence of local control of faculty hiring, budget, and curriculum.
(K) The Board representative must summarize the content of the letters of response and bring that summary to the Board.
(L) The applicant must respond to any Board requests for additional information.
(M) The Board, after timely review and consideration of the information contained in the letter of intent and any supplementary information, must either grant or deny permission to begin development of a nursing program, including rationale for the decision.
(N) If permission is granted, the applicant may begin preparing the Application for Developmental Approval as established in OAR 851-021-0010(3). If the applicant does not submit a complete developmental approval application within twelve months after the date of the Board granting permission to proceed, the permission to begin program development is expired.
(O) If the applicant is denied permission to begin development of a nursing program:
(i) The program may submit a revised letter of intent and preliminary application no sooner than six months from the previous submission;
(ii) A hearing before the Board may be requested in accordance with the Administrative Procedures Act.
(3) Step 3 - Application for Developmental Approval:
(a) An educational institution or program that has received approval of the program’s letter of intent and preliminary application to develop a nursing program may make application for developmental approval.
(b) The developmental approval application must include at minimum the following information:
(A) Evidence of accreditation of the educational institution and all entities that are part of a corporate structure by an appropriate regional or national accrediting association or agency:
(i) Approval as a degree-granting institution of higher education in Oregon for programs located in Oregon; and,
(ii) Accreditation by a regional association or national agency recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE).
(B) Evidence of the appointment of a qualified Nurse Administrator as specified in OAR 851-021-0045.
(C) Evidence that the educational institution agrees to center the administrative control of the nursing program to the nursing program administrator and must continue to provide the support and resources necessary to maintain the standards for approval as specified in OAR 851-021-0045.
(D) Administration and organizational plan delineating lines of authority and decision making impacting the nursing program.
(E) Description of proposed instructional modalities and resources to support these modalities with dates of availability.
(F) Availability of adequate practice sites for the program with supporting documentation from persons assigned to coordinate nursing practice experience placements for each facility.
(G) Availability of adequate educational facilities, services, resources, and nursing practice experience placement sites for the entire length of the program.
(H) Evidence of financial resources adequate for planning, implementation, and continuation of the program, including proposed operating costs.
(I) Tentative timetable for planning the program.
(J) Tentative start date for the program.
(K) Current educational institution catalog inclusive of all published information provided to students on accreditations and approvals.
(L) Signed formal agreement for the articulation of program graduates into the next level of nursing education. The agreement must be with an Oregon-based program or an on-line program that meets criteria for Oregon registered nurse licensure and does not require residency of any length outside of Oregon. Such articulation agreement must define specific accepted credits for progression in the registered nurse program:
(i) Programs leading to a certificate or degree in practical nursing must have an agreement that prepares candidates for licensure as a registered nurse; and,
(ii) Programs leading to an associate degree in nursing must have an agreement with program leading to a baccalaureate or higher degree in nursing.
(c) The applicant must respond to the Board's request for additional information.
(d) After a timely review the Board will notify the program within 20 business days of the Board’s decision.
(e) Once the developmental program application is approved by the Board, the program has twelve months to submit an application for Initial Approval or the developmental approval will expire.
(f) If developmental approval is denied:
(A) The program may submit a revised developmental application no sooner than six months from the previous submission;
(B) The applicant may request a hearing before the Board in accordance with the Administrative Procedures Act.
(4) Step 4 - Initial Approval:
(a) Initial approval status may be applied for with documented evidence that the following conditions have been met:
(A) Preliminary Application as described in OAR 851-021-0010(2) has received Board approval.
(B) Evidence of approval for the new program has been obtained from the appropriate agencies or bodies that review and approve new programs for public and private educational institutions:
(i) An educational institution must provide one copy of the report that was submitted to each agency and a copy of the letter indicating that approval for the program have been granted;
(ii) A program that is part of a corporate structure must provide documentation that each member educational institution has approved the program, as well as documentation of agency approval as above; and,
(iii) An educational institution approved by the Oregon Department of Education; Private Career Schools section must provide current documentation.
(C) A timetable for onboarding faculty allows adequate time for faculty to assist with curriculum development.
(D) Evidence that a sufficient number of qualified nurse educators, other required educators and administrative support services are in place a minimum of six months prior to the beginning of the courses.
(E) Documentation of budgeted funds to cover faculty salaries.
(F) Evidence that the following have been submitted to the Board a minimum of three months prior to initiation of the program:
(i) A tentative written proposed program plan, including curriculum developed in accordance with OAR 851-021;
(ii) Readiness for admission of students in educational and nursing practice experience facilities including placement sites for the maximum number of students enrolled at one time;
(iii) Policies for admission and progression;
(iv) A comprehensive plan for evaluation of the nursing program that addresses key outcomes; and,
(v) Board-approved, signed agreement for the articulation of program graduates into the next level of nursing education as established in OAR 851-021-0010 (3)(b)(L).
(b) Following Board receipt and review of the information required in OAR 851-021-0010(3), the Board may grant or deny initial approval.
(c) If initial approval is granted, a site visit may be conducted by a representative of the Board.
(d) Initial approval must be received by a program prior to publication of the program and recruitment or acceptance of students for admission to the first class of nursing students.
(e) A new program may admit only one class of students until final Board approval has been granted.
(f) If initial approval is denied, the applicant may request a hearing before the Board in accordance with the Administrative Procedures Act.
(g) Interim visits and progress reports may be requested by the Board at any time during the initial approval phase and following initial approval as deemed necessary by the Board.
(h) If the educational institution does not admit a class within twelve months after the date designated for initiating the program, the initial approval is expired.
(5) Step 5 - Final Approval:
(a) Eligibility for final approval occurs after the graduation of the first class of students.
(b) Within six months following graduation of the first class, the program must submit a self-study report addressing compliance with OAR 851-021-0040 through 851-021-0070 and a survey visit must be made for consideration of approval of the program.
(c) The decision of the Board to grant or deny approval must be based on:
(A) Review of a self-study report submitted by the program addressing compliance with OAR 851-021;
(B) The success rate of graduates on the national licensure examination; and,
(C) A survey report by a representative of the Board.
(d) If approval is denied, the applicant may request a hearing before the Board in accordance of the Administrative Procedures Act.
Statutory/Other Authority: ORS 678.150, ORS 678.340 & ORS 678.360
Statutes/Other Implemented: ORS 678.150 & ORS 678.360
History:
BN 12-2022, amend filed 07/28/2022, effective 08/01/2022
BN 1-2021, minor correction filed 01/05/2021, effective 01/05/2021
BN 7-2020, amend filed 12/11/2020, effective 01/01/2021
BN 9-2013, f. 12-3-13, cert. ef. 1-1-14
BN 17-2010, f. & cert. ef. 11-29-10
BN 3-2008, f. & cert. ef. 6-24-08
BN 11-2003, f. & cert. ef. 12-9-03
BN 7-2003, f. & cert. ef. 7-7-03
BN 1-2001, f. & cert. ef. 2-21-01
NB 4-1996, f. & cert. ef. 9-3-96
NB 1-1990, f. & cert. ef. 4-2-90, Renumbered from 851-020-0021
NB 3-1988, f. & cert. ef. 7-5-88
NER 37-1977, f. & cert. ef. 7-18-77
NER 30-1976, f. & cert. ef. 1-27-76