Section 1300.41  Approval of Current Nursing Practice Update Course

a)         A current nursing practice update course (the "course") is a planned educational offering which provides an updating of content specifically designed for registered and/or practical nurses preparing to re-enter nursing practice.

b)         To be approved by the Division, a course shall meet the following minimum requirements:

1)         The sponsoring institution must have access to adequate facilities and resources to implement both the required theoretical and clinical components of the course.

2)         The course shall be conducted by:

A)        a coordinator with a baccalaureate major in nursing and two years of current clinical experience in nursing practice;

B)        faculty with 2 years of current clinical experience in nursing who have demonstrated competency in teaching/learning.  This experience may be either from academics or work experience (i.e., coursework, staff development, nursing faculty of an approved nursing program).

3)         The course must be based on clearly stated objectives which are realistic for the time allotted in the course, appropriate for the course content, and includes both theoretical  and clinical practice expectations as set forth in Appendices A, B, C and D.

4)         The nursing content shall provide information on the Act and this Part, the American Nurses' Association (ANA) Standards of Practice, the ANA Code of Ethics, current opportunities for nursing practice, and current climate for practice, and nursing process.

5)         Course content must be based on current nursing care concepts and skills relevant to the audience for which it is intended, registered nurse or licensed practical nurse.

6)         The course shall include both planned and supervised clinical experiences and theoretical content consistent with the stated course objectives.

7)         The theory component for registered nurses shall be at least 48 contact hours and for licensed practical nurses at least 32 contact hours.

8)         The clinical component for registered nurses shall be at least 96 contact hours and for licensed practical nurses at least 64 contact hours.

c)         Any institution desiring to have its courses approved by the Division shall file with the Division at least 12 weeks prior to anticipated implementation 15 copies of all relevant information bearing on its compliance with the above criteria plus the following:

1)         The name of the sponsoring institution;

2)         The name of the designated course coordinator responsible for the course and a brief summary of the individual's qualifications;

3)         A list of the members of the educational staff, their qualifications for teaching the courses and their responsibilities.

d)         The Board shall evaluate the submitted materials at its next regularly scheduled meeting, at which time the course coordinator from the applying sponsoring institution may make an oral presentation.  The Board shall make a recommendation to the Director for approval or disapproval and the Division will notify the sponsoring institution of its decision.

e)         The course shall be reevaluated every five years.

(Source:  Amended at 30 Ill. Reg. 8582, effective April 21, 2006)