Summary
In Section R156-31b-102, the definition for "accreditation" was revised to reflect consistency with the Nurse Practice Act as enacted during the 2015 General Session. The definitions for "ACEN", "CCNE", "COA", and "NLNAC" were removed. These definitions are no longer necessary based on the change to the definition of "accreditation". The definition for "licensure by equivalency" was revised to clarify requirements for this licensure option. The definition for "psychiatric mental health nursing specialty" was revised to reflect current nursing roles and practice. In Section R156-31b-301a, the reference to a specific accrediting body was removed. A specific reference is no longer needed with the revised definition of accreditation. In Section R156-31b-301c, the name of the certifying body for nurse anesthetists was updated to reflect the body's proper name. The language about the potential for the board to approve alternatives for supervision of a psychiatric mental health advanced practice registered nurse was removed. The board determined that there is no need for exceptions to the existing rule for statutorily required supervision of psychiatric mental health advanced practice registered nurses. Subsection R156-31b-309(3) was eliminated, based on a board determination that it was redundant. Subsection R156-31b-309(2) adequately describes the time-frame associated with issuance of an intern license for any advanced practice registered nurse. In Section R156-31b-602, The requirements for limited-time approval of non-accredited nursing education programs were revised to: 1) clarify expectations of the non-accredited program by outlining requirements designed to protect the nursing student and support the program in achieving accreditation within a reasonable time-frame; and 2) reflect the revised definition of "accreditation" consistent with the Nurse Practice Act as enacted during the 2015 General Session. In Section R156-31b-609, the standards for out-of-state programs providing clinical experiences in Utah were revised to: 1) clarify that any out-of-state nursing program planning to place nursing students in Utah facilities or agencies need approval; 2) clarify that only nursing faculty providing face-to-face supervision of clinical experiences will need to be licensed in Utah or a Compact state; 3) clarify that the out-of-state programs must maintain accreditation and report to the Utah Board of Nursing any changes in accreditation status; and 4) describe requirements for an annual report to be submitted to the Utah Board of Nursing.