<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".16" citation="COMAR 10.27.01.16" title_num="10" subtitle_num="27" chapter_num="01" heading="Refresher Course and Preceptorship Requirements.">
  <paragraph num="A.">
    <text>Refresher courses and preceptor programs, as defined in Regulation .01B of this chapter, shall be approved by the Board before their implementation and at least every 5 years after that.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="B.">
    <text>The registered nurse curriculum shall:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Have a minimum of 80 theory hours, 60 clinical hours, and 8 hours of a classroom laboratory training before the on-site clinical experience;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Include the following content areas:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>The nursing process;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Management and delegation of patient care;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Documentation and information management;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(d)">
        <text>Pharmacology, including calculation;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(e)">
        <text>Nursing care of patients with alterations in body systems;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(f)">
        <text>Emergency procedures;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(g)">
        <text>Disaster response; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(h)">
        <text>Professional responsibilities, which include, but are not limited to, the following:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>Trends in nursing and the health care system;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>Legal aspects of nursing; and</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(iii)">
          <text>Development and initiation of patient and community health education.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="C.">
    <text>The practical nurse curriculum shall:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Have a minimum of 60 theory hours, 60 on-site clinical hours, and 8 hours of a classroom laboratory training before the on-site clinical experience;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Include the following content areas:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>The nursing process with the licensed practical nurse as a contributor;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Provision and delegation of patient care under the supervision of a registered nurse;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Documentation and information management;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(d)">
        <text>Pharmacology, including calculations;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(e)">
        <text>Nursing care of patients with common health problems;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(f)">
        <text>Emergency procedures;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(g)">
        <text>Disaster response; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(h)">
        <text>Professional responsibilities, which include, but are not limited to, the following:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>Trends in nursing;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>Legal aspects of nursing; and</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(iii)">
          <text>Contribution to patient health teaching.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="D.">
    <text>The organization and utilization of curriculum materials shall be based on accepted educational principles.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="E.">
    <text>Faculty Qualifications.</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Faculty shall:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Be a registered nurse as defined in Health Occupations Article, §8-101, Annotated Code of Maryland; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Have a baccalaureate degree in nursing.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>A minimum of 3 years of clinical and teaching experience is recommended.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="F.">
    <text>Faculty shall:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Plan, implement, evaluate, and revise the educational program.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Select and evaluate clinical facilities used to achieve program objectives.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>Develop and utilize:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Written examinations to measure achievement of program objectives.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>An evaluation tool to measure achievement of clinical competencies. The clinical competencies shall be based upon the registered nurse and licensed practical nurse standards of practice.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>A mechanism for student evaluation of the course.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="G.">
    <text>Students shall complete theoretical instruction either before or concurrent with clinical instruction.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="H.">
    <text>All program requirements including required clinical hours shall be completed within 12 months of the starting date of the refresher course.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="I.">
    <text>Clinical facilities shall provide sufficient opportunities to meet the learning objectives of the refresher course.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="J.">
    <text>The faculty/student ratio may not exceed 1:10 in the clinical area.</text>
  </paragraph>
</regulation>