Rules and regulations governing nursing education

The purpose of this article is to report on a national survey of the 51 state boards of examiners in the United States that govern and regulate nursing education. Data were gathered from the written rules and regulations of each of the state agencies, and content analysis was performed focusing on the following categories: qualifications (State board members, program directors, faculty, and preceptors); roles and responsibilities (state board members, faculty, preceptors, and clinical agencies); and process and content of the nursing education curriculum and program. Findings of the study indicate specific problem areas in the regulating of basic nursing education programs. The following were among the major issues identified: (1) educational qualifications for board membership are virtually nonexistent, (2) in many situations different requirements exist for various types of programs, and (3) there is great disparity from state to state regarding both the content deemed as necessary in nursing education and in the mandated process of that education. The investigators noted that several patterns lend credence to a need for a national plan regarding the state regulation of basic nursing education.