Frequently Asked Questions - Education

Clinical Experiences

Rules 214.9(c) and 215.9(c) describe clinical instruction requirements for vocational nursing (VN) and professional nursing (RN) education programs, respectively. The requirements for clinical hours for both vocational and professional nursing education programs are similar...

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How can clinical evaluation tools show progression of students' cognitive, affective, and psychomotor achievements?

Clinical evaluation tools should clearly indicate the expected behaviors of students in each clinical course. The expected behaviors reflect the student growth in knowledge base and skill level as the student progresses through the curriculum to eventually fulfill the program objectives....

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What tasks can a nursing student in a BON approved nursing education program perform during clinical learning experiences?

Under the supervision of faculty, the nursing student can perform tasks for which he/she has been prepared in the education program. Faculty are responsible for supervising...

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What distinguishes an "observational experience"?

Observation experiences are those clinical learning experiences where the student is assigned to follow a health care professional in a facility or on a unit to observe activities or to observe the role of nursing but where the student does not participate in patient care. Example: observing or following a respiratory therapist on a unit.

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How may preceptors can be used in the clinical setting?

After a student has received clinical and didactic instruction in basic areas of nursing or instruction specific to a particular course, clinical preceptors may be used in a one-on-one relationship with a staff nurse to enhance clinical learning experiences. Preceptors serve as...

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Are students practicing under the faculty member’s license during clinical learning experiences?

A nursing student enrolled in a Texas approved nursing program is not required to have a license because of the exemption in the Nursing Practice Act §301.004(6), but can practice in a student nurse role under the supervision of a qualified member of the nursing faculty for the purposes of meeting educational requirements for clinical practice. Since the nursing student is exempt, he/she is not practicing “under the faculty member’s license.”

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Is it necessary for nursing faculty to co-sign nursing students’ documentation entries in patient records?

The BON does not have rules specifically related to faculty co-signing student documentation in patient records. The necessity for faculty co-signing student documentation will be dependent upon policies of the clinical agency and of the nursing program. Generally, when charting is co-signed, it implies that the “co-signer” actually witnessed the nursing activities. The BON does not recommend co-signing documentation unless the “co-signer” witnessed and supervised the activity.

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How can a nursing education program increase the number of students in clinical settings?

Several options are included in the education rules to allow programs to expand the number of students under the supervision of a nursing faculty member. When a faculty member...

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How can a program utilize an MSN student majoring in nursing education and being mentored by a faculty member in a pre-licensure nursing program?

Since the MSN student usually holds a BSN, he/she may function as a clinical teaching assistant working under the supervision of the Master’s prepared clinical faculty member. He/she may provide guest lectures under the supervision of the Master’s prepared faculty member as long as the faculty member guides them and is in attendance at all times during didactic presentations.

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How can vocational nursing educational programs meet the requirements of the rule to provide students with experiences in both acute and non-acute care settings for Nursing Care of Children and Maternity Nursing when acute clinical opportunities in these areas are scarce?

Rule 214.9(e)(1) describes the requirements regarding Nursing Care of Children. Didactic content includes (A) common health problems of children (not acute health problems) and implications for nursing care; (B) the normal care and needs of infants and children; (C) growth...

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• All out-of-state programs should contact the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) (www.twc.state.tx.us) for their approval to conduct business in Texas.
• Degree-granting programs must contact the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) (www.thecb.state.tx.us) for approval to offer their program in Texas.
• All pre-licensure nursing programs must go through an approval process with the BON (www.bon.texas.gov).

The BON approval process:

• Ensures that the program has the necessary approvals from other Texas regulation agencies;
• Ensures that the public is protected by requiring that the supervision of students is equivalent to that required of the BON approved nursing programs in Texas; and
• Protects the nursing students in the out-of-state nursing program from violating the NPA since they will be in a program approved for clinicals in Texas by the BON and exempt from the NPA.

The BON approval process for out-of-state programs to conduct clinical learning experiences in Texas is outlined in Education Guideline 3.1.1.f. found on the BON Education - Guidelines web page. There is a one-time $500 fee for processing the application.

The BON does not approve post-licensure (RN-to-BSN and graduate programs) for clinical experiences in Texas. Post-licensure programs should contact the TWC and THECB for information about approvals to operate in the state.

All nursing faculty from the out-of-state programs, whether pre-licensure or post-licensure, must have a current Texas nursing license or privilege to practice in order to instruct or supervise students in Texas clinical experiences. Students engaged in clinical learning experiences in a post-licensure program that is the main campus outside Texas must have a Texas license or privilege to practice to avoid violating the NPA. Also, nurses who are precepting students from out-of state programs must hold a current Texas license or privilege to practice.

• Standards of Nursing Practice as set forth in the Board Rules and Regulations, Texas Nursing Practice Act, and other laws and regulations which pertain to various practice settings;

• Differentiated Essential Competencies of Graduates of Texas Nursing Programs Evidenced by Knowledge, Clinical Judgment, and Behaviors (DECs);
• A systematic approach to clinical decision-making and safe patient care;
• non-nursing courses appropriate for the study of vocational nursing;
• nursing roles; biological, physical, social, behavioral, and nursing sciences, including body structure and function, microbiology, pharmacology, nutrition, signs of emotional health, human growth and development; vocational nursing scope of practice; and nursing skills;
• laboratory activities/instruction in the nursing skills or simulation laboratory;
• clinical learning experiences that include actual hours of practice in skills and computer laboratories; simulated clinical experiences; faculty supervised hands-on patient care; clinical conferences; and observation experiences;
• nursing content in five areas: nursing care of children, maternity nursing, nursing care of the aged, nursing care of adults, and nursing care of individuals with mental health problems; and
• professional values, including ethics, safety, diversity, and confidentiality

• Standards of Nursing Practice set forth in the Board Rules and Regulations, Texas Nursing Practice Act, and other laws and regulations which pertain to various practice settings;
• Differentiated Essential Competencies of Graduates of Texas Nursing Programs Evidenced by Knowledge, Clinical Judgment, and Behaviors (DECs);
• a systematic approach to clinical decision-making and safe patient care;
• nursing roles: biological, physical, social, behavioral, and nursing sciences, including body structure and function, microbiology, pharmacology, nutrition, signs of emotional health, human growth and development; and nursing skills;
• laboratory activities/instruction in the nursing skills or simulation laboratory;
• clinical learning experiences that include actual hours of practice in skills and computer laboratories, simulated clinical experiences, faculty supervised hands-on patient care, clinical conferences, and observation experiences; and
• non-nursing courses appropriate for collegiate study;
• nursing courses in the four content areas: medical-surgical, maternal/child health, pediatrics, and mental health nursing;
• professional values, including ethics, safety, diversity, and confidentiality; and
• health promotion, illness prevention, rehabilitation, maintenance, restoration of health, and palliative and end-of-life care for individuals of all ages.
• In addition, baccalaureate and entry-level master’s degree programs in nursing shall include content in basic research, management/leadership, and community health nursing.

Board Staff have prepared Education Guideline 3.7.4.a. related to the use of standardized examinations. This guideline emphasizes that programs should not use a standardized examination as a high-stakes examination with the exam score as a determinant for progression or graduation.

• editorial updates of philosophy/mission and objectives/outcomes, or
• redistribution of course content or course hours.

Major curriculum changes are different between vocational and professional programs as indicated below:

When a program makes a curriculum change, either major or minor, the faculty shall evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum change in the Total Program Evaluation Plan through the graduation of the first class using the changed curriculum.

• New and old philosophy, major concepts, program objectives, and course objectives;
• New and old curriculum plans;
• Rationale for the curriculum changes;
• Clinical evaluation tools for each clinical course; and

Additional information, as requested, in order to provide clarity for Board Staff.

are being developed and existing ones are increasing enrollments in response to new interest. Board Staff take the position that RN-to-BSN programs should provide an education to advance nursing knowledge to a higher level that accommodates for the differences between competencies for Diploma/Associate Degree graduates and generic Baccalaureate Degree graduates as identified in the Differentiated Essential Competencies for Graduates of Texas Nursing Programs (DECs). A description of the differences in educational preparation between Diploma/ADN [associate’s degree in nursing (ADN)] and BSN graduates is discussed in Education Guideline 3.7.5.

Board Staff suggest that nurses consider the following criteria when choosing an RN-to-BSN program:

• Is the RN-to-BSN program located in an accredited institution?
• Is the program accredited by a national nursing accreditation agency?
• Will the curriculum advance the student’s nursing knowledge and skills?
• Does the curriculum match the nurse’s career goals?
• Are the courses scheduled in a fashion that will enhance the educational experience?
• How many qualified faculty participate in the teaching? What are the faculty credentials and contributions to nursing scholarship?
• Does the program include clinical practice?

It is helpful to speak with a current or previous student of a program for the student perspective. Board Staff encourage all nurses to further their education and advise students to make choices that will optimize their careers.

• Hold a current license or privilege to practice as a registered nurse in the State of Texas;
• Hold a master’s degree or a doctoral degree in nursing;
• Hold a doctoral degree, if administering a baccalaureate or master’s degree program;
• Have a minimum of three (3) years teaching experience in a professional nursing education program; and
• Have demonstrated knowledge, skills, and abilities in administration within a professional nursing education program.

• Hold a current license or privilege to practice as a registered nurse in the State of Texas;
• Have been actively employed in nursing for the past five (5) years, preferably in administration or teaching, with a minimum of one (1) year teaching in a pre-licensure nursing education program;
• Have a degree or equivalent experience that will demonstrate competency and advanced preparation in nursing, education, and administration; and
• Have had five (5) years of varied nursing experience since graduation from a professional nursing education program.

If the individual has not been actively employed in nursing for the past five (5) years, advanced preparation in nursing, nursing education, and nursing administration, and prior relevant nursing employment may be taken into consideration by Board Staff in evaluating qualifications for the position.

the program, signs official documents, is responsible for evaluation of the faculty, and is in the administrator role regardless of title. The Board-approved director is the Board contact person and the individual assigned for the NCLEX program code and has the legal responsibility to sign the Affidavit of Graduation. He/she shall meet the qualifications in Rule 215.6(f).

The individual recognized as the director of a vocational nursing education program may have the title of director or coordinator, and has the same responsibilities as the director of a professional nursing program (listed above). He/she shall meet the qualifications in Rule 214.6(f).

The director may assign some of the day-to-day managerial tasks to others in an assistive role and may give them the title of “assistant” or “coordinator,” but the program director is still the main person accountable for the program. Some individuals in the director role carry the title of “coordinator,” but they are still the individual responsible and accountable for the program.

LVN and RN programs may have different organizational structures but the program director (whether dean, director, or coordinator) is the qualified individual approved by the Board and ultimately responsible for the program.

• Hold a current license or privilege to practice as a registered nurse in the State of Texas;
• Show evidence of teaching abilities and maintaining a current knowledge, clinical expertise, and safety in the subject areas of teaching responsibilities; and
• Hold a master’s degree or doctoral degree, preferably in nursing.

If the faculty holds a master’s degree or doctoral degree in a discipline other than nursing, he/she shall hold a bachelor’s degree in nursing from an approved or accredited baccalaureate degree program in nursing; and graduate semester hours in nursing appropriate to type of program and assigned teaching responsibilities [See Rule 215.7(c)(D)].

The program director is permitted to waive required qualifications with appropriate rationale [See Rule 215.7(d)].

• Hold a current license or privilege to practice nursing in the State of Texas;
• Have been actively employed in nursing for the past three (3) years or have advanced preparation in nursing, nursing education, and/or nursing administration;
• Have had three (3) years varied nursing experiences since graduation; and
• Show evidence of teaching abilities and maintaining current knowledge, clinical expertise, and safety in the subject areas of teaching responsibility.

The program director is permitted to waive required qualifications with appropriate rationale [See Rule 214.7(d)].

• Licensed vocational nurses work under the supervision of a registered nurse.
• Didactic courses taught by licensed vocational nurses are limited to Fundamentals and Vocational Nursing Skills.
• Licensed vocational nurses teaching didactic courses other than Fundamentals and Vocational Nursing Skills must have the documented academic credentials to do so.
• Licensed vocational nurses may act as clinical supervisors for student clinical rotations. Evidence or registered nurse supervision must be documented.

• The number and level of students enrolled;
• The curriculum plan;
• Activities and responsibilities required of faculty;
• The number and geographic locations of affiliating agencies and clinical practice settings; and
• The level of care and acuity of clients.

Sufficient faculty are required to provide a ratio of one (1) faculty to ten (10) students in the clinical area. The ratio of faculty to students will vary if preceptors are used during the clinical experiences. The total number of faculty may include a mix of full-time and part-time faculty.

Vocational nursing education rules specifically call for at least (1) one full-time nursing instructor for the program and a director/coordinator without major teaching or clinical responsibilities.

faculty member may increase from ten (10) to fifteen (15). The CTAs function in the role of clinical supervisor, responsible for supervision of students’ skills performance, student evaluation, and other aspects of student learning in the clinical setting. The supervising faculty member must be physically present in the facility and available to the CTA if consultation is needed. CTAs are employed by the nursing program to assist the program faculty with clinical supervision of students. [See Rule 215.10(i) and (j)].

• There shall be written policies describing workload for director/coordinator and for faculty;
• Written policies for nursing faculty shall be in keeping with accepted educational standards and consistent with the policies of the governing entity;
• Written policies for nursing faculty workload shall allow sufficient time for faculty to accomplish those activities related to the teaching-learning process;
• Teaching activities shall be coordinated among full-time faculty, part-time faculty, clinical preceptors, and clinical teaching assistants, as appropriate;
• Workload will be determined by the number of faculty employed and their responsibilities; and

The program should employ sufficient faculty to enable the students to meet program objectives.

• Maintaining lab supplies and equipment;
• Scheduling students’ lab times; or
• Organizing the laboratory.

Lab assistants are not nursing faculty and they cannot teach students or evaluate students’ performance in the skills lab. However, if the lab assistant is a registered nurse, he/she may follow a pre-set lab procedure and check-off students’ practice in the lab. Checking-off differs from evaluation which is a more complicated activity and involves making a decision about a student’s performance.

The 1:10 clinical ratio requirements in Rule 214.10 and Rule 215.10 apply to clinical learning experiences involving direct patient care, and DO NOT apply to the skills lab setting.

(See Education Guideline 3.8.4.a.)

• Written faculty policies that guide decisions related to faculty, students, and the program of study;
• Processes for enforcement of written student policies;
• A plan for faculty meetings with all faculty participating in the planning, implementing, and evaluating of all aspects of the nursing program;
• A plan for committee structure and functioning with duties and membership of each committee clearly defined in writing;
• Processes for initiating and/or changing program policies, personnel policies, curriculum, utilization of affiliating agencies, and program evaluation; and
• A plan for inclusion of part-time faculty in governance, such as lines of communication for program policies, objectives, and evaluative criteria.

Other suggested policies that may be included in the Faculty Handbook:

• Policies for maintaining minutes of meetings;
• Policies regarding supervision of clinical experiences;
• Remediation policies;
• Grading policies;
• Interrater reliability policies;
• Library acquisition and weeding policies;
• Policies for test blueprinting;
• Policies for testing and test review;
• Policies for advising students;
• References to personnel policies in the institution;
• Peer review committee policies;
• Policies related to faculty with Board Orders;
• Social media policies;
• Practice policies for faculty who are APRNs; and
• Maintenance of faculty competence.

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clinical nursing courses. Non-nursing faculty assigned to teach didactic courses that have nursing objectives must co-teach with nursing faculty in order to meet nursing course objectives. (Content with nursing objectives must be taught by qualified nursing faculty.)

All nursing and non-nursing faculty who teach non-clinical nursing courses shall have sufficient graduate level educational preparation verified by the program dean, director, or coordinator as appropriate to the area of teaching responsibility.

the processing of the nurse’s licensure application in the remote state for a period not to exceed ninety (90) days.  A nurse licensed in a compact state with multistate privileges could be employed to teach in a Texas-approved program for ninety (90) days while he/she is endorsing into Texas.  If they are changing residences to Texas, they must endorse into Texas and name Texas as their state of residence.

If a nurse comes to Texas but maintains a residence in the party state, never intending to change residency to Texas, they may teach under the multistate privileges. Evidence that the nurse has maintained residency in the party state may be requested and may include:

• A driver’s license with a home address (in the other state);
• Voter registration card displaying a home address (in the other state);
• Federal income tax return declaring the primary state of residence (in the other state);
• Military Form No. 2058 – state of legal residence certificate (in the other state);  or
• W2 from US Government or any bureau, division or agency thereof indicating the declared state of residence (in the other state).

Other regulations related to Nurse Licensure Compact are found in Rule 220.

other health care facility; or state agency or political subdivision for the purpose of conducting nursing peer review. The nursing peer review process is one of fact-finding, analysis, and study of events by nurses in a climate of collegial problem solving focused on obtaining all relevant information about an event.

Any person or entity that employs, hires, or contracts for the services of ten (10) or more nurses (RNs, LVNs or any combination thereof) must have a Peer Review Plan; however, peer review of RNs is not mandatory if the facility employs less than five (5) RNs. A person or entity required to have nursing peer review may contract with another entity to conduct nursing peer review.

Nursing schools, therefore, are required to establish a Peer Review Committee and follow rules in Rule 217.19. Board Staff also refer the reader to an FAQ under Nursing Practice on the web site related to peer review.

1. Complaints submitted to the BON that are signed by the complainant:
   1. Board Staff acknowledges receipt of the complaint to the complainant.
   2. Board Staff forwards a written notice of complaint to the program director with a description of the complaint but the name of the complainant is kept confidential.
   3. Board Staff request a response to the complaint from the director with a specific due date.
   4. Board Staff review the response from the program director.
   5. Further action may be taken depending upon: evidence of noncompliance with Board rules, the severity of the complaint, and the number of people included as complainants. Board Staff may find the issue resolved, file a report with Enforcement, make a survey visit, or refer to other regulatory or accreditation agencies.
2. Complaints submitted to the BON but are unsigned:
   1. Board Staff communicate the nature of the complaint to the program director.
   2. Board Staff request a response to the complaint with a specific due date.
   3. Board Staff review the response from the program director.
   4. Board Staff may view the issue as resolved or determine that further investigation is needed.

Only programs that have full approval with an acceptable NCLEX examination pass rate are eligible to initiate or modify an extension site/campus. The curriculum for the extension site/campus is consistent with the curriculum at the main campus, and shall enable students to meet the goals, objectives, and competencies of the education program and the Board standards.

A nursing program that is fully approved and desiring to establish an extension site/campus shall submit an application form for approval of the extension site to Board Staff at least four (4) months prior to date of implementation. Information required in the application form may be found in Education Guideline 3.1.2.a. Initiating or Reactivating an Extension Nursing Education Program. Board Staff may request additional information.

When the curriculum of the extension site/campus deviates from the original program in any way, the proposed extension is viewed as a new program and Board Education Guidelines 3.1.1.a., 3.1.1.b., or 3.1.1.c. may apply.

• NCLEX-PN/RN® examination pass rate for the examination year;
• Review of the annual Nursing Education Program Information Survey (NEPIS);
• Review of the biennial Compliance Audit for Nursing Education Programs (CANEP);
• Program’s ongoing compliance with the education rules (Rule 214 and Rule 215);
• Findings in survey visit, as appropriate;
• Nursing accreditation status for programs holding national nursing accreditation; and
• Other pertinent data.

Factors which may jeopardize program approval include:

• Deficiencies in compliance with the rule;
• Utilization of students to meet staffing needs in health care facilities;
• Failure to submit records and reports to the Board office within designated time frames;
• Failure to provide sufficient variety and number of clinical learning opportunities for students to achieve stated objectives/outcomes;
• Failure to comply with Board requirements or to respond to Board recommendations within the specified time;
• Student enrollments without resources to support the program, including sufficient qualified faculty, adequate educational facilities, and appropriate clinical affiliating agencies;
• Failure to maintain an 80% passing rate on the licensing examination by first-time candidates;
• Failure of program dean/director/coordinator to verity the currency of faculty licenses; or
• Other activities or situations that demonstrate to the Board that a program is not meeting Board requirements.

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In most cases, the BON and Board Staff apply the “no older than five (5) years” standard in relation to the currency requirements in the BON rules regarding publications, reference holdings, video materials, and computer software programs utilized in nursing education programs. It is important to point out that the BON does not expect institutions/programs to eliminate all holdings, video materials and computer software just because the holdings are older than five (5) years. If the program wishes to retain older materials, they should be flagged or marked in some way so that students will know they are being retained for historical value and are not considered current for research and reference purposes.

for evaluating the program of study through course evaluations may be “90% of students reported satisfaction with nursing courses.” Satisfaction may be determined by students marking a 4 or 5 on a 5-point Likert scale on the course evaluation forms.

Benchmarks can be placed in a numerical rating for most evaluative criteria. Using a numerical rating provides a mechanism to measure each item.

for the program. Board staff has access to the pass rates of individuals testing in jurisdictions (states). When the nursing education program's overall pass rate is calculated for the NCLEX® examination year, the pass rate includes the statistics from all first-time test takers who graduated from the nursing education program.

• fill in the blank
• point and click to identify locations, and
• multiple response items.

More information can be acquired at: https://www.ncsbn.org/pdfs/01_08_04_Alt_Itm.pdf

nursing care of the aged; nursing care of adults; and nursing care of individuals with mental health problems. It is expected that the graduate has completed a minimum of 1,398 clock hours of study with 558 hours for classroom instruction and 840 hours for clinical practice. The specific vocational nursing curriculum content is located in Rule 214.9. Other specifics about this eligibility may be found in Rule 217.2.

To be eligible to take the NCLEX-RN® examination, the student must have completed a Board approved professional nursing education program (associate degree program, baccalaureate degree program, master’s degree program, or diploma program). Other eligibility requirements and specifics can be found in Rule 217.2.

program is the Army Practical Nurse Course (formerly 91C). If you have taken college classes or have health occupation experience you could inquire at a local vocational nursing education program to learn about transfer credit or advanced placement. They may give credit for previous courses, but that is the decision of each vocational nurse program.

It is also up to each nursing education program to determine the method(s) to ensure that each student/graduate is able to meet the program/course outcomes in the curriculum. It may require that policies be developed by the program to address the needs of the students with disabilities once enrolled in the program.

Any graduate from an approved vocational or professional nursing education program may apply to take the NCLEX examination in Texas. Eligibility for licensure in Texas as a nurse is determined on an individual basis. Eligibility questions on the Application for NCLEX examination do not address general physical disabilities.

Once licensed as a nurse, it is the nurse, taking into consideration client/patient safety, who must determine which client/patient care assignments can be accepted that are commensurate with the nurse’s educational preparation, experience, knowledge, and physical and emotional ability.

The BON may not speak to the employability of any nurse since that is a workplace issue.

Applicants to vocational nursing programs must present evidence of being able to meet objectives/outcomes of the program. In addition, vocational nursing programs are required to include pretesting (measuring reading comprehension and mathematical ability).

• Student application and required admission documentation;
• Evidence of student’s ability to meet objectives/outcomes of the program;
• Final clinical evaluations;
• Signed receipt of written student policies furnished by manual and/or electronic means;
• Evidence of study receipt of the Board license eligibility information; and
• Statement of withdrawal, if applicable.

Other records required by the institution will also be retained according to the institution's records retention policies.

not require the use of independent nursing judgment as described in §224.8(c) Nursing Tasks Prohibited from Delegation. Students employed as UAPs also cannot engage in prohibited tasks “by proxy” for the RN; for example, an RN co-signing a nursing assessment performed by a UAP who is also a nursing student.

No student may hold herself/himself out an as “nurse” since this is a protected title (§301.351 and §217.10). In order for a person to hold him/herself out as a “nurse,” the person must possess a valid LVN or RN license.

who are providing care for monetary compensation which is not a part of their formal educational program. Basically, the registered nurse may delegate certain nursing tasks which the RN determines can be properly and safely performed by the unlicensed personnel under the supervision of the RN. In such a capacity, nursing students may not perform any tasks requiring independent nursing judgment such as care plans, assessments, etc. Please refer to further details about delegation in the Delegation Resource Packet.

the individual to develop a broad set of skills. The selection of the clinical site should be based on the learning opportunities available and the learning needs and competency level of the individual learner. Individuals desiring to re-enter nursing should search for clinical learning experiences that will assist them to acquire the skills necessary to provide nursing care in a competent and safe manner.

orientation. Or you may enroll in an online refresher program for the didactic component. However, if you complete an online program, you will still need to locate a clinical preceptor to complete the clinical hour requirements.

You may wish to explore the Distance Learning, Re-Entry Nursing Program available through many Texas Community Colleges. This program is designed to reconnect individuals with nursing practice. Their contact is information is http://nurserefresher.austincc.edu/index.html

Historically, the Board has recommended that individuals work with one preceptor if possible. With one preceptor monitoring the individual's progression through the program, there is greater opportunity to identify any weaknesses or need for immediate remediation.

Successful Completion form. If all the requirements are met for the endorsement process, a 120 day temporary license will be issued within ten business days of receipt of the online application. Endorsement information can be found under Endorsement Applicants and Licensure - Endorsement Information.

The application for temporary permit process and the general requirements for course content also contain revisions. These new changes became effective October 1, 2010. Refresher Program Providers will have until August 31, 2011 to comply with the new rules.

regarding publications, reference holdings, video materials, and computer software programs utilized in nursing education programs. Just as a matter of clarification, it is important to point out that the BON does not expect institutions/programs to eliminate these holdings, video materials and computer software just because the holdings are older than 5 years. What the BON asks is that holdings older than 5 years be flagged/marked in some way so that students can be aware these specific holdings are retained for historical value and are not considered current for research and reference purposes. That in no way diminishes the value or usefulness that older holdings may have for the students and faculty in nursing education programs.

• Career Advanced - UPDATE: On May 14, 2010, the Office of the Attorney General obtained a default judgment against Career Advanced. A permanent injunction was issued against Career Advanced operating in Texas. The court ordered $121,000 in civil penalties for violations of the Texas Education Code.
• Esther Medical Tutorial and Nursing Review Center
• IF Tech - UPDATE: On February 13, 2009, the Office of the Attorney General obtained a default judgment against IF Tech. A permanent injunction was issued against IF Tech operating in Texas and former students were awarded restitution.
• Merit Excellence Institute
• Omnibus International - UPDATE: MAY 1, 2009, Omnibus International was issued a Cease and Desist Order by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) on May 1, 2009, as the owner of the school, Rene Gaviola, is operating a career school without a certificate of approval or exemption required by the TWC.
• Vocational Training Educational Center or VTEC - UPDATE: On January 16, 2009, the Office of the Attorney General obtained a default judgment against VTEC. A permanent injunction was issued against VTEC operating in Texas and former students were awarded restitution.

A student must graduate from an approved nursing educational program in order to be deemed eligible to take the NCLEX-PN® or NCLEX-RN® licensure examination. The purpose of the Board approval process is to protect the public from fraudulent programs that do not adequately prepare graduates to practice nursing safely and competently.

The Board has worked collaboratively with the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) in efforts to protect the public from fraudulent nursing educational programs, as the TWC has statutory authority to issue cease and desist orders against the schools. Pursuant to Texas Education Code Section 132.301, 303, upon a showing that a person is operating a career school or college without a certificate of approval or exemption issued by the Commission, the Commission may issue an order that requires the person to immediately cease and desist from the operation of that career school or college.

Additional Institutions Whose Degrees are Illegal to Use in Texas, have been identified by The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and posted on their website.

All NCLEX applicants with outstanding eligibility issues that could prevent them from taking the NCLEX examination upon completion of a nursing program are urged to complete a Declaratory Order application. The Declaratory Order process permits the Board to make decisions regarding an applicant's eligibility for licensure prior to entering or completing a nursing program.

Click here for more information, including Declaratory and Licensure applications.