(1) The commission may deny full approval to new or existing nursing education programs if it determines a nursing education program fails substantially to meet the standards for nursing education as contained in WAC 246-840-511 through 246-840-556.

(2) The commission may issue a statement of deficiencies and request a plan of correction or directed plan of correction requiring compliance within a designated time period.

(3) The commission may grant conditional approval to a nursing education program failing to meet the minimum standards contained in the law and this chapter.

(a) Conditions must be met within a designated time period and shall be specified in writing.

(b) A conditionally approved program shall be reviewed at the end of the designated time period. The review will result in one of the following actions:

(i) Restoration of full approval to existing programs;

(ii) Issuance of full approval to a new program;

(iii) Continuation of conditional approval; or

(iv) Issuance of intent to withdraw approval.

(4) The following situations may be cause for review, investigation, and a site visit by the commission to determine if the minimum standards for education nursing programs are being met:

(a) Complaints relating to violations of WAC 246-840-511 through 246-840-556;

(b) Denial, withdrawal, or change of program accreditation status by a commission-recognized national nursing accreditation agency or general academic accreditation agency;

(c) Failure to obtain commission approval of changes requiring commission approval under WAC 246-840-554 and 246-840-556;

(d) Providing false or misleading information to students or the public concerning the nursing program;

(e) Violation of the rules or policies of the commission;

(f) Inability to secure or retain a qualified nurse administrator;

(g) Inability to secure or retain faculty resulting in substandard supervision and teaching of students;

(h) Noncompliance with the program's stated purpose, objectives, policies, and curriculum resulting in unsatisfactory student achievement or negative program outcomes;

(i) Failure to provide clinical or practice experiences necessary to meet the objectives of the nursing program;

(j) Faculty student ratio in direct patient care is greater than 1:10 in prelicensure programs or 1:6 in nursing education programs preparing nurses for advanced registered nurse practitioner licensure; and

(k) Failure to maintain an average national council licensing examination (NCLEX) annual passing rate or average advanced practice certification annual passing rate of eighty percent.

(5) If a program:

(a) Fails to maintain an average NCLEX passing or advanced practice certification rate of eighty percent of first time test takers for one year, the program must complete an assessment of the problem. The program may request technical assistance from the commission.

(b) Fails to maintain an average NCLEX passing or advanced practice certification rate of eighty percent of first time writers for two consecutive years, the program must complete an assessment of possible contributing factors and submit a plan of correction to the commission. The commission may place the program on conditional approval status. The program may request technical assistance from the commission.

(c) Fails to maintain an average NCLEX passing or advanced practice certification rate of eighty percent of first time writers for three consecutive years, the program must complete an assessment of possible contributing factors, submit a plan of correction, and the commission may conduct a site visit. The program may request technical assistance from the commission. The commission shall place the program on conditional approval status.

(d) Fails to maintain a NLCEX [NCLEX] passing or advanced practice certification rate of eighty percent for four out of five consecutive years, the commission shall continue the program on conditional approval, require a full evaluation site visit, and may withdraw program approval following the site visit.

(6) The commission may withdraw approval from existing nursing education programs if it determines that a nursing education program fails to meet substantially the standards for nursing education as contained in WAC 246-840-511 through 246-840-556.

(7) All these actions shall be taken in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act, chapter 34.05 RCW, and any applicable rules of the commission.