- Faculty who are providing services in the Commonwealth that fall within the definition of the practice of professional nursing (defined in Section 2 of the Professional Nursing Law) must hold a current Pennsylvania license.
Source: Professional Nursing Law, Section 3
- Faculty members teaching required nursing education courses shall hold at least one graduate degree in nursing, shall be currently licensed as professional nurses in Pennsylvania, and shall have expertise in their areas of instruction.
- Faculty members without a graduate degree in nursing shall be designated faculty assistants. Faculty assistants shall be currently licensed as professional nurses in Pennsylvania. Faculty assistants may teach required nursing education courses only when fully qualified faculty are not available and teach under the direct guidance of a fully-qualified faculty member. Faculty assistants shall have a baccalaureate degree in nursing and shall give evidence of a plan for obtaining a graduate degree in nursing. A person may teach as a faculty assistant in a nursing education program in Pennsylvania for a maximum cumulative period of 5 years.
- A clinical preceptor shall hold a current license to practice professional nursing in the state of the clinical experience.
- Faculty shall have input into the selection of preceptors, and shall retain responsibility for planning and evaluating learning experiences when students are engaged in clinical activities with a preceptor.
- If a faculty member is not physically present in the area in which students are practicing, a faculty member shall be immediately available by telephone or other means of telecommunication when students are engaged in clinical activities with a preceptor.
Source: Pennsylvania Code, Chapter 21.71
- Additional regulations relating to conducting any education in Pennsylvania fall under the purview of the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Division of Higher and Career Education, and the Bureau of Post-secondary and Adult Education.
View Pennsylvania's Nurse Practice Act and Administrative Rules.