The Washington State Board of Nursing.  The Washington State Board of Nursing (WSBN) is the disciplining authority for most nursing professions, including registered nurses and advanced practice registered nurses.  The WSBN is composed of 15 members:

• seven registered nurses;
• two advanced practice registered nurses;
• three licensed practical nurses; and
• three public members.

In rule, the WSBN defines a national nursing education accreditation body as an independent nonprofit entity, approved by the U.S. Department of Education as a body that evaluates and approves the quality of nursing education programs within the United States and territories.  Nursing education program is also defined in rule by the WSBN as a division or department within a state supported educational institution or other institution of higher learning, charged with the responsibility of preparing nursing students and nurses to qualify for initial licensing or higher levels of nursing practice.

The Washington State Board of Nursing (WSBN) must:

• provide technical assistance for a corrective action plan to nursing education programs with a national council licensure examination pass rate below 80 percent; and
• expedite approval of new nursing education program applications for institutions of higher education with approved and national accredited nursing programs.

The WSBN may not require:

• a nursing education program to meet standards beyond those required for national accreditation or require a nursing education program accredited by a national nursing education accreditation body to produce a study aligning its policies and procedures with those of the WSBN.  Instead, an accreditation self-study and all documentation submitted to a national nursing education accreditation body is sufficient to meet the WSBN requirements; or
• additional corrective action or documentation showing corrective action response from nursing education programs beyond those determined by a national nursing education accreditation body.

The WSBN may require:

• a nursing education program required to produce findings, recommendations, or a corrective action plan to a national nursing education accreditation body to also provide such findings, recommendations, or corrective action plan to the WSBN;
• only the Simulation Director and the Lead Nurse Educator to be certified in clinical simulation; and
• continued professional development for nurse educators subject to appropriation or availability of adequate resources.

National nursing education accreditation body is defined as an independent nonprofit entity approved by the United States department of education as a body that evaluates and approves the quality of nursing education programs within the United States and territories.  Nursing education program is defined as a division or department within a state supported educational institution or other public institution of higher education, charged with the responsibility of preparing nursing students and nurses to qualify for initial licensing or higher levels of nursing practice.