Nursing schools and programs.

Existing law, the Nursing Practice Act, establishes the Board of Registered Nursing to license and regulate the practice of nursing. Existing law establishes the Nursing Education and Workforce Advisory Committee within the jurisdiction of the board and requires the committee to solicit input from specified groups to study and recommend nursing education standards and solutions to workforce issues to the board. This bill would require the committee to study specified topics, including how approved schools of nursing or nursing programs maintain clinical education standards, and would require the board to submit a report making recommendations to the Legislature regarding how approved schools of nursing or nursing programs manage or coordinate clinical placements. Existing law requires the board to annually collect, analyze, and report information related to the number of clinical placement slots that are available and the location of those clinical placement slots within the state, as specified. This bill would require the board to annually collect, analyze, and report information related to the management of clinical placements and coordination with clinical facilities by approved schools of nursing or nursing programs, as specified. The bill would require the board to annually publish the report on its internet website and to annually submit the report to the Legislature. This bill would state that its provisions are severable.