WSR 98-18-072

EXPEDITED ADOPTION

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

(Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission)

[Filed August 31, 1998, 4:35 p.m.]

Title of Rule: WAC 246-838-040 Licensure qualifications.

Purpose: Adopt wording from WAC 246-838-040 into currently existing WAC 246-840-030 making the new wording as new subsections (4), (5), (6), and (7). In 1994 the LPN and RN laws were merged together by the legislature. In 1997 the Nursing Commission renumbered all rules to reflect the combined board. This one rule, WAC 246-838-040 was not renumbered because of a typographical error. This proposed change would add the wording into a current existing rule. No wording is proposed to be changed, no new requirements.

Other Identifying Information: Once WAC 246-838-040 is incorporated into WAC 246-840-030, the former WAC will be repealed.

Statutory Authority for Adoption: Chapter 18.79 RCW.

Statute Being Implemented: Chapter 18.79 RCW.

Summary: There is no new language being proposed. WAC 246-838-040 currently exists as does WAC 246-840-030. This change is only necessitated by the renumbering of the nursing rules and this change would fix the one remaining rule which was not renumbered.

Reasons Supporting Proposal: There are no new requirements. This is simply a solution to fix a renumbering problem.

Name of Agency Personnel Responsible for Drafting, Implementation and Enforcement: Terry J. West, P.O. Box 47864, Olympia, WA 98504, (360) 664-4207.

Name of Proponent: Washington State Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission, governmental.

Rule is not necessitated by federal law, federal or state court decision.

Explanation of Rule, its Purpose, and Anticipated Effects: When the legislature decided in 1994 to combine the Practical Nursing Board and the Registered Nursing Board to create the new Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission, the Nursing Commission decided that the two sets of rules with different numbers for each set should be combined into one set of rules so as to reduce confusion. In 1997 the rules were combined into one set of rules. All rules were combined except for WAC 246-838-040 which was accidentally left off due to a typographical error. This latest proposal will take that remaining rule and incorporate it into an existing renumbered rule. Once incorporated, the old rule can then be repealed. No new language and no new requirements are being proposed.

Proposal does not change existing rules. This change would add the language from WAC 246-838-040 into 246-840-030 by creating new subsections (4), (5), (6), and (7). There is no new wording and no new requirements.

NOTICE

THIS RULE IS BEING PROPOSED TO BE ADOPTED USING AN EXPEDITED RULE-MAKING PROCESS THAT WILL ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR THE AGENCY TO HOLD PUBLIC HEARINGS, PREPARE A SMALL BUSINESS ECONOMIC IMPACT STATEMENT, OR PROVIDE RESPONSES TO THE CRITERIA FOR A SIGNIFICANT LEGISLATIVE RULE. IF YOU OBJECT TO THIS RULE BEING ADOPTED USING THE EXPEDITED RULE-MAKING PROCESS, YOU MUST EXPRESS YOUR OBJECTIONS IN WRITING AND THEY MUST BE SENT TO Terry J. West, Program Manager, Department of Health, P.O. Box 47864, Olympia, WA 98504, AND RECEIVED BY October 31, 1998.

August 4, 1998

Terry J. West

Co-Acting Executive Director

OTS-1821.3

AMENDATORY SECTION (Amending WSR 97-17-015, filed 8/8/97, effective 9/8/97)

WAC 246-840-030 Examination and licensure. (1) Graduates from Washington state board approved schools of nursing holding a degree/diploma from such a school shall be eligible to write the examination provided all other requirements are met.

(2) Graduates from a nursing school approved by a board of nursing in another U.S. jurisdiction shall be eligible to take the examination provided that:

(a) The nursing school meets the minimum standards approved for state board school of nursing in Washington at the time of the applicant's graduation;

(b) Graduate has completed all institutional requirements for the degree/diploma in nursing education per attestation from the administrator of the approved nursing education program;

(3) Graduates of a nontraditional school of nursing which meet the requirements of subsection (2)(a), (b) and (c) of this section, are eligible to take the registered nurse examination provided that the following conditions are met: (For purposes of this section, nontraditional schools of nursing are defined as schools that have curricula which do not include a faculty supervised teaching/learning component in clinical settings.)

(a) The candidate is a licensed practical nurse in Washington state; and

(b) There is documentation of at least two hundred hours of supervised clinical experience (preceptorship) in the role of a registered nurse. The required elements of a preceptorship are as follows:

(i) Acceptable clinical sites - Acceptable clinical sites include acute care or subacute care settings or skilled nursing facilities. Other sites must be approved by the commission.

(ii) Qualifications of preceptor (instructor) - The preceptor must be a licensed registered nurse in Washington state with at least two years experience in a practice setting and have no history of disciplinary actions. The candidate must provide documentation that the preceptor meets these requirements when he/she applies for licensure and must also provide a written agreement between the candidate and the preceptor (or facility) that preceptorship supervision will occur.

(iii) Experiences in the preceptorship - Experiences must include delegation and supervision, decision making and critical thinking, patient assessment as part of the nursing process and evaluation of care. A checklist, provided by the commission, must be completed by the preceptor which indicates the candidate's satisfactory completion of the identified skills. This checklist must be submitted with the candidate's application for licensure; and

(c) The candidate receives a satisfactory evaluation from their preceptor meeting commission requirements as previously identified ((b)(iii) of this subsection); and

(d) All other requirements of the nursing statute and regulations are met.

(4) In order to be eligible for licensure by examination the applicant shall have satisfactorily completed an approved practical nursing program, fulfilling all the basic course content as stated in WAC 246-840-575, or its equivalent as determined by the board. Every applicant must have satisfactorily completed an approved practical nursing program within two years of the date of the first examination taken or the applicant must meet other requirements of the board to determine current theoretical and clinical knowledge of practical nursing practice.

(5) An applicant who has not completed an approved practical nurse program must establish evidence of successful completion of nursing and related courses at an approved school preparing persons for licensure as registered nurses, which courses include personal and vocational relationships of the practical nurse, basic science and psychosocial concepts, theory and clinical practice in medications and the nursing process, and theory and clinical practice in medical, surgical, geriatric, pediatric, obstetric and mental health nursing. These courses must be equivalent to those same courses in a practical nursing program approved by the board.

(6) A notice of eligibility for admission to the licensing examination may be issued to all new graduates from board approved practical nursing programs after the filing of a completed application, payment of the application fee, and official notification from the program certifying that the individual has satisfactorily completed all requirements for the diploma/certification.

(7) All other requirements of the statute and regulations shall be met.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 18.79.160. 97-17-015, § 246-840-030, filed 8/8/97, effective 9/8/97.]