65-1119. Schools of nursing; approval; approval of providers of continuing education offerings; application fee; criteria for evaluating out-of-state schools; nationally accredited schools of nursing. (a) Application for approval. An approved school of nursing is one which has been approved as such by the board as meeting the standards of this act, and the rules and regulations of the board. An institution desiring to conduct an approved school of professional or practical nursing shall apply to the board for approval and submit satisfactory proof that it is prepared to and will maintain the standards and basic professional nursing curriculum or the required curriculum for practical nursing, as the case may be, as prescribed by this act and by the rules and regulations of the board. Applications shall be made in writing on forms supplied by the board and shall be submitted to the board together with the application fee fixed by the board. The approval of a school of nursing shall not exceed 10 years after the granting of such approval by the board. An institution desiring to continue to conduct an approved school of professional or practical nursing shall apply to the board for the renewal of approval and submit satisfactory proof that it will maintain the standards and basic professional nursing curriculum or the required curriculum for practical nursing, as the case may be, as prescribed by this act and by the rules and regulations of the board. Applications for renewal of approval shall be made in writing on forms supplied by the board. Each school of nursing shall submit annually to the board an annual fee fixed by the board by rules and regulations to maintain the approval status.

(b) Schools for professional nurses. To qualify as an approved school for professional nurses, the school must be conducted in the state of Kansas, and shall apply to the board and submit evidence that: (1) It is prepared to carry out the professional curriculum as prescribed in the rules and regulations of the board; and (2) it is prepared to meet such other standards as shall be established by this law and the rules and regulations of the board.

(c) Schools for practical nurses. To qualify as an approved school for practical nurses, the school must be conducted in the state of Kansas, and shall apply to the board and submit evidence that: (1) It is prepared to carry out the curriculum as prescribed in the rules and regulations of the board; and (2) it is prepared to meet such other standards as shall be established by this law and the rules and regulations of the board.

(d) Survey. The board shall prepare and maintain a list of approved schools for both professional and practical nurses whose graduates, if they have the other necessary qualifications provided in this act, shall be eligible to apply for a license as a registered professional nurse or as a licensed practical nurse. A survey of the institution or institutions and of the schools applying for approval shall be made by an authorized employee of the board or members of the board, who shall submit a written report of the survey to the board. If, in the opinion of the board, the requirements as prescribed by the board in its rules and regulations for an approved school for professional nurses or for practical nurses are met, it shall so approve the school as either a school for professional nurses or practical nurses, as the case may be. The board shall resurvey approved schools on a periodic basis as determined by rules and regulations. If the board determines that any approved school of nursing is not maintaining the standards required by this act and by rules and regulations prescribed by the board, notice thereof in writing, specifying the failures of such school, shall be given immediately to the school. A school which fails to correct such conditions to the satisfaction of the board within a reasonable time shall be removed from the list of approved schools of nursing until such time as the school shall comply with the standards. All approved schools shall maintain accurate and current records showing in full the theoretical and practical courses given to each student.

(e) Providers of continuing nursing education. (1) To qualify as an approved provider of continuing nursing education offerings, persons, organizations or institutions proposing to provide such continuing nursing education offerings shall apply to the board for approval and submit evidence that the applicant is prepared to meet the standards and requirements established by the rules and regulations of the board for such continuing nursing education offerings. Initial applications shall be made in writing on forms supplied by the board and shall be submitted to the board together with the application fee fixed by the board.

(2) A long-term provider means a person, organization or institution that is responsible for the development, administration and evaluation of continuing nursing education programs and offerings. Qualification as a long-term approved provider of continuing nursing education offerings shall expire five years after the granting of such approval by the board. An approved long-term provider of continuing nursing education offerings shall submit annually to the board the annual fee established by rules and regulations, along with an annual report for the previous fiscal year. Applications for renewal as an approved long-term provider of continuing nursing education offerings shall be made in writing on forms supplied by the board.

(3) Qualification as an approved provider of a single continuing nursing education offering, which may be offered once or multiple times, shall expire two years after the granting of such approval by the board. Approved single continuing nursing education providers shall not be subject to an annual fee or annual report.

(4) In accordance with rules and regulations adopted by the board, the board may approve individual educational offerings for continuing nursing education which shall not be subject to approval under other subsections of this section.

(5) The board shall accept offerings as approved continuing nursing education presented by: Colleges that are approved by a state or the national department of education and providers approved by other state boards of nursing, the national league for nursing, the national federation of licensed practical nurses, the American nurses credentialing center or other such national organizations as listed in rules and regulations adopted by the board.

(6) An individual designated by a provider of continuing nursing education offerings as an individual responsible for CNE who has held this position for the provider at least five years immediately prior to January 1, 1997, shall not be required to have a baccalaureate or higher academic degree in order to be designated by such provider as the individual responsible for CNE.

(f) Criteria for evaluating out-of-state schools. For the purpose of determining whether an applicant for licensure who is a graduate of a school of professional or practical nursing located outside this state meets the requirements of item (2) of subsection (a) of K.S.A. 65-1115 and amendments thereto or the requirements of item (2) of subsection (a) of K.S.A. 65-1116 and amendments thereto, as appropriate, the board by rules and regulations shall establish criteria for determining whether a particular school of professional nursing located outside this state maintains standards which are at least equal to schools of professional nursing which are approved by the board and whether a particular school of practical nursing located outside this state maintains standards which are at least equal to schools of practical nursing which are approved by the board. The board may send a questionnaire developed by the board to any school of professional or practical nursing located outside this state for which the board does not have sufficient information to determine whether the school meets the standards established under this subsection (f). The questionnaire providing the necessary information shall be completed and returned to the board in order for the school to be considered for approval. The board may contract with investigative agencies, commissions or consultants to assist the board in obtaining information about schools. In entering such contracts the authority to approve schools shall remain solely with the board.

(g) The board may accept nationally accredited schools of nursing as defined in rule and regulation.

(1) Schools of nursing which have received accreditation from a board recognized national nursing accreditation agency shall file evidence of initial accreditation with the board and shall file all reports from the accrediting agency and any notice of any change in school accreditation status. The board may grant approval based upon evidence of such accreditation.

(2) Schools of nursing holding approval based upon national accreditation are also responsible for complying with all other requirements as determined by rules and regulations of the board.

(3) The board may grant approval to a school of nursing with national accreditation for a continuing period not to exceed 10 years.

History: L. 1949, ch. 331, § 8; L. 1963, ch. 314, § 5; L. 1973, ch. 249, § 2; L. 1978, ch. 240, § 5; L. 1980, ch. 188, § 2; L. 1980, ch. 186, § 2; L. 1981, ch. 244, § 2; L. 1982, ch. 261, § 3; L. 1983, ch. 207, § 3; L. 1983, ch. 206, § 9; L. 1983, ch. 206, § 14; L. 1988, ch. 243, § 2; L. 1990, ch. 221, § 4; L. 1997, ch. 146, § 2; L. 2001, ch. 161, § 4; July 1.