(1) The program of study for a registered nursing education program must include both didactic and clinical learning experiences and must be:

(a) Effective September 1, 2017, designed so that all prerequisite nonnursing course credits and nursing credits are transferable to the bachelor's in nursing programs as identified in the statewide associate in nursing direct transfer agreement between community colleges, colleges, and universities, or the statewide associate of applied science transfer degree;

(b) Designed to include instruction in the physical, biological, social and behavioral sciences. Content is required from the areas of anatomy and physiology (equivalent to two quarter credit terms with laboratory), chemistry, microbiology, pharmacology, nutrition, communication, and computations;

(c) Designed to include theory and clinical experiences in the areas of medical surgical nursing and mental health nursing across the life span, teaching students to use a systematic approach to clinical decision making and preparing students to safely practice professional nursing through the promotion, prevention, rehabilitation, maintenance, restoration of health, and palliative and end of life care for individuals of all ages across the life span;

(d) Designed to include nursing history, health care trends, legal and ethical issues such as professional values, substance abuse and the disciplinary process, scope of practice and commission approved scope of practice decision tree, and licensure and professional responsibility pertaining to the registered nurse role. Content may be integrated, combined, or presented as separate courses;

(e) Designed to include opportunities for the student to learn assessment and analysis of client and family needs, planning, implementation, evaluation, and delegation of nursing care for diverse individuals and groups;

(f) Planned, implemented, and evaluated by faculty;

(g) Based on the philosophy, mission, objectives and outcomes of the program;

(h) Organized logically with scope and sequence of courses demonstrating student learning progression;

(i) Based on sound educational principles and standards of educational practice;

(j) Designed so articulation or dual enrollment agreements between associate and bachelor's degree nursing programs or associate and master's degree nursing programs exists to facilitate higher levels of nursing education in a timely manner;

(k) Designed to prepare graduates for licensure and to practice as registered nurses as identified in WAC 246-840-700 and 246-840-705; and

(l) Designed to prepare graduates to practice as associate degree or bachelor degree nurses as identified by professional nursing organizations.

(2) Baccalaureate and entry-level master's degree programs shall also include:

(a) Theory and clinical experiences in community and public health nursing;

(b) The study of research principles and application of statistics to health care practice and intervention; and

(c) The study and practice of leadership, interdisciplinary team coordination, quality assurance and improvement, care coordination and case management.

(3) Registered nursing curricula shall include:

(a) Comprehensive content on: Client needs; safe practice; effective care environment; discharge planning; health promotion, prevention and maintenance; psychosocial integrity and physiological integrity.

(b) Clinical experiences in the care of persons at each stage of the human life cycle, with opportunities for the student to learn and have direct involvement in and responsibility and accountability for the provision of basic nursing care and comfort for clients with acute and chronic illnesses, pharmacological and parenteral therapies, and pain management.

(c) Opportunities for management of care, delegation, supervision, working within a health care team, and interdisciplinary care coordination.