LAC 46:XLVII.3521. Curriculum: Undergraduate and Graduate Nursing Education Degree Programs

A. The faculty shall periodically review, evaluate and revise as appropriate the mission/philosophy, and goals of the undergraduate and/or graduate nursing education degree program(s); the goals and program outcomes shall be consistent with the mission of the nursing education degree program and flow from the mission of the institution. B. The mission/philosophy, goals and program outcomes shall be used by the faculty in planning, implementing and evaluating the total undergraduate and/or graduate nursing education degree program(s). C. Graduate and Undergraduate Curriculum Content 1. Undergraduate Curriculum a. Undergraduate curriculum shall include, but not be limited to, content from the behavioral, biological, mathematical, nursing and physical sciences. b. Credit hours earned for clinical nursing courses shall be no less than three hours and no more than four hours of clinical contact hours per academic credit hour per semester. c. Opportunities shall be provided for the application of the nursing process throughout the curriculum and in a variety of settings that includes care across the lifespan and population health. d. Simulated laboratory experiences may also be utilized as a teaching strategy in classroom and clinical settings to meet outcomes and may be counted as either classroom or clinical hours for the purpose of calculating the hours in the curriculum. e. Provision shall be made for learning experiences with clients having nursing care needs across the lifespan and stages of the health-illness continuum as appropriate to the role expectations of the graduate. 2. Graduate Curriculum a. The curriculum shall include, but not be limited to separate courses in advanced pathophysiology, advanced pharmacology, advanced assessment and diagnostic reasoning, and management of health care status courses and shall evidence appropriate course sequencing. b. The APRN role and population shall have supervised experiences in accordance with accreditation, certification, and education requirements and standards. i. Specialty roles and populations that provide care to multiple age groups and care settings will require additional hours as distributed in a way that represents the populations served. ii. Dual role and population APRN programs shall include and address content and clinical experiences for both roles and populations. Each role and population shall have documented clinical hours in accordance with certification agency requirements. The population foci of the dual roles and populations will determine the extent to which overlap may occur. Overlapping clinical hours between roles and populations must be documented and addressed as to the preparation for the two areas of practice. c. Simulated laboratory experiences may also be utilized as a teaching strategy in classroom and clinical settings to meet outcomes and may be counted as either classroom or clinical hours for the purpose of calculating the hours in the curriculum. d. There shall be provisions for the recognition of prior learning and advanced placement in the curriculum for those individuals who hold a master's or practice doctorate (APRN) in nursing and are seeking to qualify for recognition in a different APRN role and population. Post-graduate nursing students must complete the requirements of a master's or practice doctorate (APRN) program through a formal graduate level certificate or master's or practice doctorate level APRN role and population in the desired functional role. Post-graduate students must master the same outcome criteria as master's or practice doctorate level students. Post-graduate APRN students shall have supervised experiences in the role and population in accordance with accreditation, certification, and education requirements and standards. D. Undergraduate and graduate distant nursing education degree programs leading to licensure must meet the standards and requirements of Louisiana undergraduate and graduate education degree programs contained in LAC 46:XLVII.Chapter 35. E. Undergraduate and graduate distance nursing education degree programs leading to licensure and utilizing Louisiana agencies must be approved by the board at a regularly scheduled meeting (refer to §3539). F. Undergraduate and graduate student learning outcomes of the course and content shall reflect society's concern with the bioethical and legal parameters of health care and professional practice. G. The undergraduate and graduate nursing courses shall provide for classroom and clinical laboratory instruction that shall be under the supervision of a faculty member of the nursing program. 1. The faculty to student ratio per clinical experience shall not exceed 1 to 10 (1:10) per clinical day for undergraduate clinical instruction unless the students are engaged in a board-approved preceptorship experience, which permits a maximum of 1 to 15 (1:15) faculty to undergraduate student ratio and 1 to 9 (1:9) faculty to APRN student ratio per clinical day. H. Provision shall be made for the development of other knowledge and skills as deemed necessary by the faculty and as appropriate to the role expectations of the graduate. I. The undergraduate and graduate curriculum shall be arranged to provide opportunities for upward career mobility for students who have completed other nursing programs and have met appropriate requirements for licensure as follows. 1. Mechanisms for the recognition of prior learning and advanced placement in the undergraduate and graduate curriculum shall be in place. 2. Any formalized agreements between programs to facilitate the transfer of credit between undergraduate and graduate nursing education degree programs shall be identified and described.