4723-5-09 Organization and administration of the program.

(A) The program shall have and implement a plan of organization and administration that clearly delineates:

(1) The relationship of the program to the controlling agency;

(2) The lines of authority, responsibility, and channels of communication within the program that provides for:

(a) Faculty and student involvement in determining academic and program policies and procedures, curriculum planning, and evaluation; and

(b) Faculty involvement in the implementation of academic and program policies and procedures.

(B) The program shall be administered by a registered nurse administrator who meets the qualifications set forth in rule 4723-5-10 of the Administrative Code for a registered nursing education program, or rule 4723-5-11 of the Administrative Code for a practical nursing education program. The program administrator shall have the authority, accountability, and responsibility for all aspects of the program including but not limited to:

(1) Providing input into the budget process;

(2) Maintaining communication with central administration and other units of the controlling agency, faculty, students, clinical agencies, and the board;

(3) Ensuring regular meetings of the faculty to facilitate communication and faculty participation in planning, implementing, and evaluating the curriculum;

(4) Implementing an orientation process for new faculty;

(5) Recommending faculty for appointment, promotion, tenure or retention, and termination;

(6) Facilitating faculty development, including enhancing educational competencies;

(7) Establishing the faculty or teaching assistant to student ratio for direct patient care experiences at no greater a ratio than ten students to one faculty or teaching assistant, or a smaller ratio in clinical settings where necessary to ensure the safe delivery of nursing care by students, faculty, and teaching assistants;

(8) Ensuring a written policy related to the evaluation of faculty and instructional personnel is implemented;

(9) Certifying to the board, in a format prescribed by the board, for each student who is an applicant for licensure in Ohio that each applicant successfully completed the requirements of a program and the date the applicant completed the program requirements; and

(10) Submitting to the board a corrective action plan any time the program administrator submits one or more erroneous certifications of program completion to the board.

(C) If a program has more than one location and all locations share the same philosophy, conceptual framework or organizing theme, program objectives or outcomes, curriculum and admission, progression and completion policies, the program shall be administered by a registered nurse administrator who meets the qualifications set forth in rule 4723-5-10 of the Administrative Code for a registered nursing education program, or rule 4723-5-11 of the Administrative Code for a practical nursing education program. The program administrator shall have the authority, accountability, and responsibility for all aspects of the entire program at all locations.

(1) If the program has more than one location, each location that is more than sixty miles from the program shall be administered by a registered nurse associate administrator who meets the qualifications set forth in rule 4723-5-10 of the Administrative Code for a registered nursing education program, or rule 4723-5-11 of the Administrative Code for a practical nursing education program. The associate administrator shall have the authority, accountability, and responsibility for the program at the given location;

(2) The board may require a program that is not otherwise subject to paragraph (C)(1) of this rule to designate an associate administrator for a program location based upon consideration of the following:

(a) Average student census at program locations;

(b) Total number of program locations;

(d) Approval status of the program.

(3) The program shall develop and implement a plan of organization and administration that clearly delineates the lines of authority, accountability, and responsibility among all program locations and associate administrators.

(4) If a program or any of its locations fail to meet or maintain the requirements of this chapter, the approved program and all of its locations shall be subject to board review and possible board action.

(D) The controlling agency shall ensure continuity of the administrative responsibilities for the program as follows:

(1) If the program administrator vacates the position or there is an absence of the program administrator that exceeds thirty consecutive business days, the controlling agency shall notify the board in writing of the effective date of the vacancy or absence, and designate a registered nurse to replace the program administrator or serve as an interim program administrator in accordance with this paragraph.

(2) An interim program administrator shall be a registered nurse who assumes the administrative responsibilities of the program administrator on a temporary basis and shall satisfy all of the following:

(a) Meet the requirements of an associate administrator as set forth in rule 4723-5-10 of the Administrative Code for a registered nursing education program, or rule 4723-5-11 of the Administrative Code for a practical nursing education program;

(b) Provide official transcripts verifying academic preparation that satisfies the requirements of rule 4723-5-10 of the Administrative Code for a registered nursing education program or rule 4723-5-11 of the Administrative Code for a practical nursing education program;

(3) When the controlling agency appoints a new program administrator, the controlling agency shall notify the board in writing of the effective date of the appointment and provide the name and curriculum vitae of the program administrator who shall:

(a) Meet the requirements for a program administrator set forth in rule 4723-5-10 of the Administrative Code for a registered nursing education program or rule 4723-5-11 of the Administrative Code for a practical nursing education program;

(b) Provide official transcripts verifying academic preparation that satisfies the requirements of rule 4723-5-10 of the Administrative Code for a registered nursing education program, or rule 4723-5-11 of the Administrative Code for a practical nursing education program.

Effective: 02/01/2008

R.C. 119.032 review dates: 10/01/2011

Promulgated Under: 119.03

Statutory Authority: 4723.07

Rule Amplifies: 4723.06

Prior Effective Dates: 2/1/96, 4/1/99, 2/1/00, 2/1/02, 2/1/07