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Board of Nursing Updates�VASSA

Jacquelyn Wilmoth, RN, MSN

Deputy Executive Director

Virginia Board of Nursing

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Board Staff

Jacquelyn Wilmoth

Deputy Executive Director

VACANT

Program Manager

Beth Yates

Education Program Specialist

Claire Morris

Executive Director

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Regulatory Activity

Periodic Review

Every 3 years

Committee review

Board members
Stakeholders
Board staff

Public Comment opportunities
Board Member voting

Board Staff Role

Provide research-based suggestions for amendments
Provide input from programs/stakeholders

Legislation

Introduced by Legislators
Public comment opportunity is during the General Assembly session
If becomes law – board must enact
Board staff Role

Provide technical assistance

https://lis.virginia.gov/

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Stay up to date:

Meeting times

Meeting minutes

Regulatory Activity

https://townhall.virginia.gov/index.cfm

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Business Meeting

Agenda

F is the regulatory affairs section

F1 – summary of regulatory actions and where they are in process.

May 2025

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Chapter 27 – Periodic Review

March 2025 Business Meeting (F4)

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18VAC90-27-110 Proposed Changes

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https://www.nclex.com

Share this with your faculty and students

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Approved NGN Test Design

Design Specification	Next Generation NCLEX (NGN)
Time Allowed	5 hours
Delivery Method	Variable-length CAT *
Total Items (min – max)	85 – 150
Total Scored Items (min – max)	70 – 135
Case Studies	3 (18 items)
Standalone items (traditional NCLEX + bowtie + trend, etc.)	52 – 117 (About 10% are bowtie/trend)
Unscored (Pretest) Items	15 **

* Items within a Case Study are static, not adaptive

** May include case studies, bowtie items, trend items

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Waiver Option for Clinical Faculty Ratio

18VAC90-27-60 (B)(2) permits a faculty ratio of 1:10
2025 Legislation permits programs to submit a waiver for 1:15

Waiver process is under development and will be presented at the September 2025 business meeting for board member consideration
Once approved by the Board programs will have the option to apply for waiver

This will not be a regulatory change

COMING SOON

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Changes to 18VAC90-27-60 pursuant to 2024 legislation effective July 17, 2025 �

Definition of Clinical Faculty added
BSN Programs

Didactic faculty shall hold a graduate degree – majority in nursing. If not in nursing, BS must be in nursing
Clinical Faculty

graduate degree in nursing or
BS degree in nursing and actively enrolled in graduate degree program or
BS degree and alternative credentials
If graduate decree not in nursing, BS must be in nursing

ADN/Diploma Programs

Didactic faculty

Graduate degree, preferably with major in nursing or
BS degree and actively enrolled in a graduate program

Clinical Faculty

BS degree in nursing or
Associate degree in nursing and actively enrolled in BS program

PN Programs

All Faculty

BS, preferably with major in nursing or
Associates and actively enrolled in BS program

Faculty Exceptions will no longer be permitted

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Curriculum for direct client care�18VAC 90-27-100

RN program: minimum 500 hours

- RN program may award the student up to 150 hours of clinical upon admission

PN program: minimum 400 hours

Observational experiences: do not count as direct client care

Simulation:

- No more than 25% of direct client care hours

- No more than 50% of any content area**

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Curriculum for direct client care�18VAC 90-27-100

PN students must have clinical hours across the lifespan even if they are transferring hours into a RN program.

Make sure the students are able to meet the clinical objectives in the assigned setting.

Make sure the students are caring for the types of patients for which the clinical hours are allotted.

Review clinical objectives with students.

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Simulation�18VAC 90-27-100 (D)

Skills acquisition and task training alone (Skills lab) do not qualify as simulated client care
25% total hours may be simulated
50% of any content area may be simulated

Regulations related to simulation were revised on February 2, 2022

The revisions included definitions of “Direct Client Care” and “Simulation”. Simulation is defined as an evidence based teaching methodology utilizing an activity in which students are immersed into a realistic clinical environment or situation and in which students are required to learn and use critical thinking and decision making skills.

Faculty members who supervise clinical practice by simulation shall also demonstrate simulation knowledge and skills in that methodology and shall engage in ongoing professional development in the use of simulation.

- Faculty with education and expertise in simulation and in the applicable subject area must be present during the simulation experience.

The following must be documented on all simulations:

- Course description and Objectives

- Type of simulation and location of simulated experience

- Number of simulated hours

- Faculty qualifications

- Methods of prebriefing and debriefing

- Evaluation of simulated experience; and

- Method to communicate student performance to clinical faculty.

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18VAC 90-27-30

80% of clinical experiences are to be conducted in Virginia and within 50 miles of the program campus

18VAC 90-27-170

After full approval, faculty exception requests may be considered prior to the academic year they are needed

Initial faculty exceptions
Continued faculty exceptions

Faculty Exceptions will no longer be permitted – eff. 7/17/2025

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Opportunities and Data

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Student attendance at board hearings

Please check Town Hall for meeting related information

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Transition to Practice

Research shows education to practice gap
Evaluations from stakeholders

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Annual Report 2023 - 2024

PN Programs

32% attrition rate
Total enrollment has increased

2,793 to 3,193

17 full time faculty and 24 part time faculty positions are currently in active recruitment
Faculty Turnover is decreasing

21% to 19%

RN programs

17% attrition rate

ADN has highest attrition rate (23%)

Total enrollment has increased

12,258 to 13,473

117 full-time faculty positions and 103 part time faculty positions are currently in active recruitment
Faculty Turnover is decreasing

16% to 11%

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NCLEX pass rates

NCLEX - PN Pass Rates 2022

Virginia – 82.16%
National – 79.93%

NCLEX - PN Pass Rates 2023

Virginia – 90.04%
National – 88.56%

NCLEX - PN Pass Rates 2024

Virginia – 88.77%
National – 88.38%

NCLEX – RN Pass Rates 2022

Virginia – 82.32%
National – 79.90%

NCLEX – RN Pass Rates 2023

Virginia – 89.94%
National – 86.68%

NCLEX – RN Pass Rates 2024

Virginia – 92.29%
National – 91.17%