SB301
To Set Certain Amounts Of Clinical Hours For Nursing Students In Certain Degree Programs.
Last Action (May 1, 2023): Sine Die adjournment
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AI-Generated Summary
Senate Bill 301 establishes maximum limits for direct patient care hospital clinical hours required for various nursing degree programs in Arkansas. Specifically, the bill caps clinical hours at 500 for licensed practical nursing programs, 450 for associate's degree nursing programs, and 600 for Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs. Clinical hours for master's and doctoral nursing programs remain subject to the requirements set by their respective accrediting standards. The stated purpose of the legislation is to provide equity regarding clinical hour requirements across different nursing programs in the state. The bill amends the Arkansas Code to integrate these requirements into the state's educational regulations.
Potential Impact Analysis
Who Might Benefit?
The primary beneficiaries include nursing students enrolled in programs that previously required clinical hours exceeding these new caps, as it may reduce their time-to-graduation or workload. Additionally, nursing education institutions may benefit from standardized regulatory expectations, and the state’s healthcare system may benefit if these changes facilitate a faster pipeline of graduates into the workforce by reducing clinical training bottlenecks.
Who Might Suffer?
Nursing education programs that currently require more than these specified clinical hours may be negatively impacted as they will be forced to adjust their curricula to comply with the new statutory caps. Furthermore, some healthcare facilities or nursing educators might argue that these caps could potentially lead to reduced hands-on training for students, which could be perceived as a concern for clinical preparedness.
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