OAR 851-050-0001
Standards for Nurse Practitioner Programs

The Board’s standards for all nurse practitioner programs for initial applicants are as follows:

(1)

The nurse practitioner program shall be a minimum of one academic year in length; however, programs completed before January 1, 1986 and post-Masters programs completed for the purpose of changing category of nurse practitioner licensure may be less than one academic year in length if the program otherwise meets all requirements.

(2)

Faculty who teach within the nurse practitioner program shall be educationally and clinically prepared in the same specialty area(s) as the theory and clinical areas they teach and shall include advanced practice nurses.

(3)

The curriculum content shall contain theory and clinical experience in the nurse practitioner population focus specified in OAR 851-050-0005 (Nurse Practitioner Scope of Practice)(6) for which application is being made, preparing the graduate to meet all competencies within the scope including physical assessment, pharmacology, pathophysiology, differential diagnosis and clinical management.

(4)

The number of contact hours of clinical experience shall be equal to or greater than the number of contact hours of nurse practitioner theory. The clinical experience must consist of full scope preparation in the population focus for which application is being made.

(5)

Post-graduate nurse practitioner programs that prepare an individual for dual role or population focus certification must meet all competencies designated for the nurse practitioner role including supervised clinical hours of no less than 500 hours for each role or population focus.

(6)

Programs must provide documentation that students meet the program’s curriculum requirements in effect at the time of enrollment.

(7)

Written program materials shall accurately reflect the mission, philosophy, purposes, and objectives of the program.

(8)

Programs shall demonstrate appropriate course sequencing and requirements for matriculation into the program, including completion of all pre-licensure nursing curriculum requirements before advancement into nurse practitioner clinical coursework.

(9)

Preceptors shall meet clinical and licensure qualifications for the state in which they practice.

(10)

Distance and asynchronous learning programs shall meet all standards of OAR 851-050-0001 (Standards for Nurse Practitioner Programs).

(11)

All courses required for completion of the nurse practitioner program must be at the graduate level, if completed after January 1, 1986.

(12)

Nurse practitioner programs outside of the United States must meet all standards of OAR 851-050-0001 (Standards for Nurse Practitioner Programs). Such programs shall be determined by Board approved or directed credentials review to be equivalent to graduate nurse practitioner programs offered in the United States which prepare the nurse practitioner for practice within the advanced nursing specialty scope. Nationally recognized nursing accreditation standards or guidelines may be applied by the Board at the Board’s discretion, in accordance with the Oregon Office of Degree Authorization regulations.

(13)

The Board’s additional requirements for Oregon-based nurse practitioner programs are as follows. The Dean or Director of the Nursing school which provides one or more Nurse Practitioner programs/tracks shall ensure that one or more qualified faculty are appointed and have defined position responsibility to address the administrative functions of the program/track. Administrative functions include budget and resource preparation, curricular design, oversight of program implementation and evaluation. The appointed faculty and preceptor(s) in the program shall meet the following requirements:
Nurse Practitioner Program Faculty, Administration and Preceptors

(a)

Nurse Practitioner Program Administrator who has overall responsibility for one or more NP tracks shall meet the following requirements:

(A)

A current active unencumbered Oregon nurse practitioner license;

(B)

National certification as a nurse practitioner in at least one population focus area;

(C)

A doctoral degree in a health-related field;

(D)

Educational preparation or experience in teaching and learning principles for adult education, including curriculum development and administration and at least two years of current clinical experience which meets Oregon’s practice requirements;

(E)

In a multi-track program, where only one Program Administrator is appointed by the Dean or Director of the school, there must be evidence of additional program administrators or lead nurse practitioner faculty to provide oversight for student supervision who are nationally certified in that specific program’s population focus.

(b)

The nurse practitioner program Educator shall meet the following requirements:

(A)

A current active unencumbered Oregon nurse practitioner license;

(B)

An earned doctoral degree in nursing; or

(C)

A masters degree with a major in nursing and an appropriate advanced practice nurse credential; and

(D)

Two years of clinical experience as a nurse practitioner; and

(E)

Current knowledge, competence, and state licensure as a nurse practitioner in the population foci consistent with teaching responsibilities; or National Board Certification and a minimum of 400 practice hours in the past 2 years in the population foci consistent with teaching responsibilities.

(F)

Adjunct clinical faculty employed solely to supervise clinical nursing experiences of students shall meet all the faculty requirements.

(G)

Inter-professional educators who teach non-clinical nursing courses shall have advanced preparation appropriate to the area of content.

(c)

Clinical Preceptors in the nurse practitioner program shall meet the following requirements:

(A)

Student preceptor ratio shall be appropriate to accomplishment of learning objectives, to provide for patient safety, and to the complexity of the clinical situation;

(B)

Oregon licensure appropriate to the health professional area of practice;

(C)

Functions and responsibilities for the preceptor shall be clearly documented in a written agreement between the agency, the preceptor, and the clinical program

(D)

Initial experiences in the clinical practicum and a majority of the clinical experiences shall be under the supervision of clinical preceptors who are licensed advanced practice registered nurses.

(d)

Nurse Practitioner Educator responsibilities shall include:

(A)

Making arrangements with agency personnel in advance of the clinical experience that provides and verifies student supervision, preceptor orientation, and faculty defined objectives;

(B)

Monitoring student assignments, making periodic site visits to the agency, evaluating students’ performance on a regular basis with input from the student and preceptor, and availability for direct supervision during students’ scheduled clinical time;

(C)

Providing direct supervision by a qualified faculty or experienced licensed clinical supervisor as required for patient safety and student skill attainment.

(e)

Nurse Practitioner Program Administrator responsibilities shall include:

(A)

Ensuring appropriate student faculty ratios to meet program goals and objectives;

(B)

Provision of leadership and accountability for the administration, planning, implementation and evaluation of the program;

(C)

Preparation and administration of the program budget;

(D)

Facilitation of faculty recruitment, development, performance review, promotion and retention;

(E)

Assurance that cooperative agreements with clinical practice sites are current.
Program Accreditation Required and Board Notification Process

(f)

Currently accredited programs that prepare nurse practitioners for state licensure under these rules and requirements shall submit to the Board:

(A)

A copy of their most recent program self-evaluation reports;

(B)

Current accreditation and survey reports from all nursing accrediting agencies; and

(C)

Interim reports submitted to the national nursing accreditation agency.

(D)

These documents must be submitted to the Board upon receipt to or release from the accrediting agency.

(g)

Programs that prepare nurse practitioners for state licensure under development or pre-accreditation review shall submit the following for review by the Board:

(A)

Copies of the curricula within 30 days of sending the information to the accrediting agency;

(B)

Copies of self-evaluation reports and any interim reports provided to all national nursing accreditation agencies, at the time of notification from the accrediting agency that the program has not been fully accredited;

(C)

Verification of accreditation from all accrediting agencies within 30 days of receipt by the program;

(D)

Annual reports which enable the monitoring of continued compliance with Board requirements.

(h)

Grounds for denial of graduate nurse practitioner applicants for initial licensure include failure of the Oregon based nurse practitioner program to:

(A)

Maintain accreditation status through a US Department of Education recognized national accrediting body;

(B)

Submit curricula, self-evaluation reports, interim reports or notice of accreditation reports as required by the Board;
(i)
Students who graduate from a program that was accredited at the time of their completion shall be considered to have graduated from an accredited program regardless of the current program status for the purpose of licensure.
Approval of a New Nurse Practitioner Educational Program

(j)

Any university or college wishing to establish a nurse practitioner education program must make application to the Board on forms supplied by the Board no later than one year before proposed enrollment of students.

(k)

The following information must be included with the initial application along with supporting documentation:

(A)

Purpose for establishing the nursing education program;

(B)

Community needs and studies made as the basis for establishing a nursing education program;

(C)

Type of program including clear identification of proposed licensure role and population foci for graduates;

(D)

Accreditation status, relationship of educational program to parent institution;

(E)

Financial provision for the educational program;

(F)

Potential student enrollment;

(G)

Provision for qualified faculty;

(H)

Proposed clinical facilities and other physical facilities;

(I)

Proposed time schedule for initiating the program. If initial approval is denied, the applicant may request a hearing before the Board and the provisions of the Administrative Procedures Act shall apply.
Survey of Nurse Practitioner Programs, Survey Criteria

(l)

Board representatives will conduct in-person visits to nursing programs for the following purposes:

(A)

Review of application for initial program approval;

(B)

Initial and continuing full approval of an educational program;

(C)

Receipt by the Board of cause for review including but not limited to:
(i)
Significant curricular change that includes addition of a new state licensure recognized population focus or role;
(ii)
Evidence that graduates fail to meet national certification criteria;
(iii)
Violation of Board standards.

(D)

If approval is denied or withdrawn, the applicant may request a hearing before the Board and the provisions of the Administrative Procedures Act shall apply.

(m)

Board representatives will contact nursing programs to schedule site visits:

(A)

Within 60 days of receipt of an application for initial program approval;

(B)

Upon receipt of national accreditation report for existing programs; one year after implementation of new programs, every 3-5 years for continuing approval;

(C)

Within 30 days of receipt of a complaint.

(D)

For purposes of reviewing a major curriculum change.

Source: Rule 851-050-0001 — Standards for Nurse Practitioner Programs, https://secure.­sos.­state.­or.­us/oard/view.­action?ruleNumber=851-050-0001.

Last Updated

Jun. 8, 2021

Rule 851-050-0001’s source at or​.us