The proposed bill aims to establish a statewide core curriculum for practical nursing programs in Arkansas to enhance consistency in nursing education across various institutions. It introduces a new section, 6-61-144, which outlines the necessity for a standardized curriculum due to existing discrepancies in clinical hours, class hours, and credit hours among different programs. The bill mandates that by the 2029-2030 academic year, all practical nursing programs must adopt this core curriculum, which will consist of 44 credit hours and allow programs to determine the distribution of didactic, laboratory, and clinical hours. Additionally, it provides options for certified nurse aides and medication assistive persons to receive credit for prior learning, ensuring that the curriculum remains relevant and up-to-date with advancements in the field.

Furthermore, the bill amends Arkansas Code 17-87-304(a)(2) to specify that applicants for a practical nursing license must complete the prescribed curriculum as outlined in the new section. However, it allows the board to waive this requirement if the applicant is deemed otherwise qualified. The bill also includes a multi-phase adoption plan, starting with a pilot program in the 2025-2026 academic year, where a select group of nursing programs will implement the new curriculum. The Nurse Administrators of Nursing Education Programs and the board will monitor the implementation and report any necessary changes to the General Assembly after the first year.

Statutes affected:
HB 1566: 17-87-304(a)