49 Pa. Code § 21.203 - Specific curriculum requirements for practical nursing programs
(a) The curriculum
shall be based upon the philosophy and objectives of the program and shall be
developed, implemented and evaluated by the faculty.
(b) The curriculum shall be organized and
developed to include the knowledge, attitudes, skills and abilities necessary
for the specific levels of student achievement.
(c) The curriculum shall be planned to
promote measurable abilities, as contained in the Test Plan for the Practical
Nurse Licensing Examination, published by Council of State Boards of Nursing,
Inc.
(d) The curriculum shall
provide instruction in the following areas:
(1) Physical and biological sciences,
including appropriate content from basic human anatomy and physiology as well
as elementary principles of chemistry, microbiology, physics and normal
nutrition.
(2) Social and
behavioral sciences including psycho-social facts and principles basic to
personal adjustment and to nursing practice as well as appropriate content on
the family and development stages from birth to senescence.
(3) Concurrent or sequential theory and
clinical experience in:
(i) The care of
patients with simple nursing needs.
(ii) The care of patients with short-term
nursing needs.
(iii) The care of
patients with long-term nursing needs.
(4) Clinical experience, as provided in
paragraph (3), in the care of men, women and children in a variety of age
groups with health problems characteristic of the age group involved.
(5) Theory, as required in paragraph (3),
including appropriate knowledge from diet therapy and pharmacology, as well as
scientific facts and selected clinical concepts which are essential as a basis
for nursing action and are applicable to patient care.
(6) Learning experiences, as required in
paragraph (3), providing opportunities for the student to:
(i) Develop an awareness of the needs of
patients.
(ii) Learn to plan and
give nursing care to selected individuals in various nursing situations that
are relatively free of complexity.
(iii) Learn to plan and give nursing care to
a group of selected patients.
(iv)
Learn to assist the professional nurse in more complex nursing
situations.
(7) Content,
as required in paragraph (3), drawn from information about ethical, moral and
legal responsibilities of the practical nurse, current trends in nursing and
health delivery systems and vocational development.
(8) Technical and clinical aspects of
immunization, skin testing, the performance of venipuncture and the
administration and withdrawal of intravenous fluids to the extent each function
is an authorized function of an LPN under this chapter. An IV therapy course
must include instruction in the following topics:
(i) Definition of IV therapy and
indications.
(ii) Types of vascular
access delivery devices.
(iii)
Age-related considerations.
(iv)
Legal implications for IV therapy.
(v) Anatomy and physiology.
(vi) Fluid and electrolyte balance.
(vii) Infusion equipment used in IV
therapy.
(viii) Parenteral
solutions and indications.
(ix)
Infection control and safety.
(x)
Insertion of peripheral short catheters.
(xi) Administration, maintenance and
monitoring of peripheral IV therapy.
(xii) Complications and nursing
interventions.
(xiii) Central and
peripheral vascular devices.
(xiv)
Administration, maintenance and monitoring of central and peripheral IV
therapy.
(xv)
Documentation.
(xvi) Patient
education.
(e)
The total curriculum shall include a minimum of 1500 hours offered within a
time period of not less than 12 months. The Board recommends that a minimum of
40% of the total curriculum be theoretical and the remaining 60% be in
appropriate clinical experience.
(f) Evening and night assignments shall be
considered part of the curriculum only in terms of the objectives to be
achieved and if supervision is provided by the nursing faculty. Learning
experiences during evening and night hours shall be planned only after the
termination of the first 4 months of the program.
(g) Total hours of theory and clinical
experience should be planned on a 35-hour week basis.
(h) The curriculum shall be evaluated
according to a plan developed by the faculty and shall include the following:
(1) A careful review of aspects of the
educational program based on the stated philosophy and objectives.
(2) A continuous evaluation of instructional
procedures, learning experiences and student progress.
(3) Opportunities for students to participate
in self-evaluation of their own learning experiences.
(4) Performance of graduates on the State
Board Test Pool Examination.
(5)
Opinions of graduates regarding the adequacy of their nursing
program.
(6) Evaluation of
graduates by their employers.
(7) A
record system in operation which will assist in the evaluation of the
educational program.
Notes
The provisions of this § 21.203 amended under section 506 of The Administrative Code of 1929 (71 P.S. § 186); and sections 8 and 17.6 of the Practical Nurse Law (63 P.S. §§ 658 and 667.6).
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