22 Tex. Admin. Code § 217.2 - Licensure by Examination for Graduates of Nursing Education Programs Within the United States, its Territories, or Possessions
(a) All applicants for initial licensure by
examination shall:
(1) file a complete
application containing data required by the board attesting that all
information contained in, or referenced by, the application is complete and
accurate and is not false or misleading, and the required application
processing fee which is not refundable;
(2) submit verification of completion of all
requirements for graduation from an approved nursing education program, or
certification from the nursing program director of completion of
certificate/degree requirements. Prerequisites of an accredited master's degree
program leading to a first degree in professional nursing must be approved by
the board;
(3) pass the NCLEX-PN
(LVN applicant) or NCLEX-RN (RN applicant);
(4) graduate from an approved Texas nursing
education program or a program with substantially equivalent education
standards to a Texas approved nursing program as defined below.
(A) A professional nursing education program
operated in another state may be determined to have substantially equivalent
education standards to a Texas approved nursing program if:
(i) the program is approved by a state board
of nursing or other governmental entity to offer a pre-licensure professional
nursing program of study that awards a nursing diploma or degree upon
completion;
(ii) the program
includes general education courses providing a sound foundation for nursing
education for the level of preparation;
(iii) the program's nursing courses include
didactic content and supervised clinical learning experiences in
medical-surgical, maternal/child health, pediatrics, geriatrics, and mental
health nursing that teach students to use a systematic approach to clinical
decision-making and safe patient care across the life span; and
(iv) for baccalaureate degree nursing
programs, nursing courses must also include didactic content and supervised
clinical learning experiences, as appropriate, in community, research, and
leadership.
(B) A
vocational nursing education program operated in another state may be
determined to have substantially equivalent education standards to a Texas
approved nursing program if:
(i) the program
is approved by a state board of nursing or other governmental entity to offer a
pre-licensure vocational/practical nursing program of study that awards a
vocational/practical nursing certificate, diploma, or degree upon
completion;
(ii) the program's
nursing courses include didactic and supervised clinical learning experiences
in medical-surgical, maternal/child health, pediatrics, geriatrics, and mental
health nursing that teach students to use a systematic approach to clinical
decision-making and safe patient care across the life span; and
(iii) the program includes support courses
providing a sound foundation for nursing education for the level of
preparation.
(C) A
clinical competency assessment program shall be deemed substantially equivalent
to a Texas approved nursing program while compliant with Tex. Occ. Code §
301.157(d-8) and
(d-9). A clinical competency assessment
program will be deemed to not be substantially equivalent to a Texas approved
nursing program if the program fails to meet applicable requirements of Tex.
Occ. Code §
301.157(d-11) and
(d-12).
(D) If an applicant does not have
substantially equivalent education under paragraph (A) or (B), the applicant
may become eligible for licensure if the applicant enrolls in an approved Texas
program and completes the necessary educational requirements.
(E) If an applicant for licensure as a
registered nurse has completed a clinical competency assessment program which
is deemed not to be substantially equivalent to Board standards for Texas
programs under paragraph (C), the Board may issue a provisional license to the
applicant once the applicant has passed the National Council Licensure
Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN® Examination). The applicant
will be eligible for full licensure if the applicant completes the requirements
of clause (i) or (ii) below:
(i) The
applicant completes 500 hours of clinical practice under the direct supervision
of an approved preceptor. The applicant, prior to beginning practice, must
submit the name and license number of a potential preceptor for Board approval.
After completion of 500 hours of clinical practice under direct supervision of
the approved preceptor and the preceptor's signature that the applicant is
competent and safe to practice nursing, the applicant may be eligible for full
licensure.
(ii) The applicant
completes an educational program at an approved Texas program which is designed
to assess and improve clinical skills for applicants who have not completed
supervised clinical experiences in their prior educational program. The
applicant must seek and receive the Board's approval prior to entering into the
program to ensure that the program will allow the applicant may be eligible for
full licensure. The applicant must provide the Board evidence of completion of
the approved program;
(5) submit fingerprints for a complete
criminal background check; and
(6)
pass the jurisprudence exam approved by the board, effective September 1,
2008.
(b) Should it be
ascertained from the application filed, or from other sources, that the
applicant should have had an eligibility issue determined by way of a petition
for declaratory order pursuant to the Occupations Code §
301.257, then the
application will be treated and processed as a petition for declaratory order
under §
213.30 of this title (relating to
Declaratory Order of Eligibility for Licensure), and the applicant will be
treated as a petitioner under that section and will be required to pay the
non-refundable fee required by that section.
(c) An applicant for initial licensure by
examination shall pass the NCLEX-PN or NCLEX-RN within four years of completion
of requirements for graduation.
(d)
An applicant who has not passed the NCLEX-PN or NCLEX-RN within four years from
the date of completion of requirements for graduation must complete a board
approved nursing education program in order to take or retake the
examination.
(e) Upon initial
licensure by examination, the license is issued for a period ranging from six
months to 29 months depending on the birth month. Licensees born in
even-numbered years shall renew their license in even-numbered years; licensees
born in odd-numbered years shall renew their licenses in odd-numbered
years.
Notes
State regulations are updated quarterly; we currently have two versions available. Below is a comparison between our most recent version and the prior quarterly release. More comparison features will be added as we have more versions to compare.
No prior version found.