State nursing boards follow the Nursing Practice Act (NPA), a law that mandates the board to organize the range of practice and responsibilities for RNs in that state. The law supersedes the interest of any individual on the board or in the community, the nursing profession and any special groups. According to the California Board of Consumer Affairs website, the Nursing Practice Act is updated each year.
According to the Oregon State Board of Nursing (OSBN), new nursing educational programs must apply for the "Development Approval" or a similar name for other states. After meeting certain regulations, such as quality instructors and facilities, nursing programs can request "Initial Approval" from the state board. Programs that pass the state's regulations can be listed on the state board's website to begin enrolling students.
Nursing programs teach students what they need to learn in order to take the national licensing examination after graduation. Students can either take the licensed practical nursing (LPN), registered nursing (RN) exam or others, depending on the state. According to the Maryland Board of Nursing (MBN), the state's program approval ensures potential students and the public that approved programs meet or surpass set standards and criteria. While each state requires different qualities in the a nursing school, two main functions are that the school can retain qualified faculty on staff and keep an 85 percent first-attempt graduate rate for students taking the National Council Licensure Exam.
When the first class of students graduates from the program, either online or actual, and the program meets further criteria given by the individual state board, the program earns "Final Approval."
The majority of state boards approve only Associate's Degrees, Bachelor's Degrees and Practical Nurse programs. For students who wish to earn advanced practice nursing degrees, such as certified registered nurse anesthetists---the state board requires additional regulations for those programs.
According to the California State Board of Registered Nursing, the board has the authority to approve registered nursing and advanced practice nursing programs in California. The purpose of approving a program is to ensure the program's compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements. Pre-licensure nursing programs---schools that already have a license from another state or are virtual classrooms--must be approved again by the Board of Registered Nursing.
If a program fails to meet a state's regulatory standards for nursing education, the approval can be withdrawn. The school has theopportunity to correct the problem to regain approval status.