LAC 46:XLVII.901. Faculty

A. The program shall have a faculty of sufficient size and expertise to fulfill the program objectives. At no time shall a faculty consist of less than two fulltime nurse members, one of whom shall be designated as coordinator/department head. Programs with two fulltime nurse faculty members shall admit a maximum of 36 students per class. The board may, upon application by the school administrator, permit program expansion. Expansion approval must be obtained in writing from the board. B. Application and Qualifications 1. Application. Each applicant for a faculty position in a practical nursing program shall be approved by the Louisiana State Board of Practical Nurse Examiners prior to employment in the program. 2. Licensure. Each nurse faculty member shall hold a current, valid license to practice as a registered nurse in the state of Louisiana, which license shall be visually inspected annually by the nurse coordinator/department head of the practical nursing program and the administrator of the school. The board may deny and/or rescind approval to a faculty applicant and/or current faculty member whose license has been or is currently being disciplined in any jurisdiction. 3. Nurse Coordinator/Department Head. The coordinator/department head shall be a registered nurse with a minimum of four years experience in medical-surgical nursing or nursing education. At least one of these four years must have been as a medical-surgical hospital staff nurse providing direct patient care. An applicant for nurse coordinator must have practiced as a nurse for a minimum of six full-time months during the three years immediately preceding application. 4. Nurse Instructor. A nurse instructor shall be a registered nurse with a minimum of three years of nursing experience. At least one of these three years must have been as a medical-surgical hospital staff nurse providing direct patient care. An applicant for nurse instructor must have practiced as a nurse for a minimum of six full-time months during the three years immediately preceding application. 5. Specialty Nurse Instructor. The board may consider an applicant for a specialty nurse instructor with experience in one of the clinical specialty areas (maternity, neonatal, pediatric, mental health) provided that this instructor is hired in addition to two full time nurse faculty members who meet the qualifications for nurse coordinator and/or nurse instructor. The specialty nurse instructor must have a minimum of four years of clinical experience in the specific specialty area. The specialty nurse instructor may be utilized only for instruction in the specific specialty area for which application was made.