MADISON (WKOW) — Gov. Tony Evers has approved new changes to Wisconsin’s faculty approval process for nursing schools, allowing qualified Registered Nurses to teach clinical courses if they meet certain criteria.
The emergency rule change follows a recommendation by the Governor’s Task Force on the Healthcare Workforce aimed at addressing the state’s longstanding healthcare workforce shortages.
The emergency rule change allows greater flexibility in the faculty available to teach nursing students in clinical settings. Previously, a master’s degree in nursing was generally required to teach clinical courses in nursing programs.
Under the new pathway, qualified faculty must hold a bachelor’s degree in nursing and be a current, active and unencumbered RN with license or privilege to practice in Wisconsin. They must also have at least two years of clinical experience relevant to the specific clinical area they would be teaching.
Additionally, faculty must be enrolled in a graduate program and maintain steady progress toward completion, have completed graduate-level courses or education in clinical best practices, or have a national certification in a nursing field specialty relevant to the assigned clinical field they would be teaching. They must practice under the supervision of an RN who meets traditional qualifications.
“Our work to address our state’s nursing shortage is critically important, which is why I’m proud to enact this new emergency rule change to allow qualified RNs to offer their knowledge and experience in teaching clinical courses, helping to train the next generation of Wisconsin’s nurses,” Evers said. “Especially as Wisconsin faces continued workforce challenges within our healthcare industry, we need to make sure qualified, trained medical professionals can join our workforce, and this is an important step to make sure that happens.”