(a) Implementation. The provisions of this section shall be implemented by school districts beginning with the 2022-2023 school year.      
        (1) No later than August 31, 2022, the commissioner of education shall determine whether instructional materials funding has been made available to Texas public schools for materials that cover the essential knowledge and skills identified in this section.       
        (2) If the commissioner makes the determination that instructional materials funding has been made available, this section shall be implemented beginning with the 2022-2023 school year and apply to the 2022-2023 and subsequent school years.       
        (3) If the commissioner does not make the determination that instructional materials funding has been made available under this subsection, the commissioner shall determine no later than August 31 of each subsequent school year whether instructional materials funding has been made available. If the commissioner determines that instructional materials funding has been made available, the commissioner shall notify the State Board of Education and school districts that this section shall be implemented for the following school year.       
      (b) General requirements. This course is recommended for students in Grades 10-12. Prerequisites: one credit in biology, one credit in chemistry, and at least one credit in a course from the health science career cluster. Recommended prerequisite: Science of Nursing. Students shall be awarded one credit for successful completion of this course.     
      (c) Introduction.      
        (1) Career and technical education instruction provides content aligned with challenging academic standards, industry-relevant technical knowledge, and college and career readiness skills for students to further their education and succeed in current and emerging professions.       
        (2) The Health Science Career Cluster focuses on planning, managing, and providing therapeutic services, diagnostic services, health informatics, support services, and biotechnology research and development.       
        (3) This course is designed to explore leadership and management in nursing, studying topics such as ethics, educational levels, career paths, regulatory bodies, and personal and professional leadership skills.       
        (4) Students are encouraged to participate in extended learning experiences such as Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA), Skills USA, career and technical student organizations, and other leadership or extracurricular organizations.       
        (5) Statements that contain the word "including" reference content that must be mastered, while those containing the phrase "such as" are intended as possible illustrative examples.       
      (d) Knowledge and skills.      
        (1) The student demonstrates professional standards/employability skills as required by business and industry. The student is expected to:                  (A) demonstrate verbal and non-verbal communication in a clear, concise, and effective manner; and                   (B) exhibit the ability to cooperate, contribute, and collaborate as a member of a team.         
        (2) The student understands the different educational levels of licensed nurses and applicable careers and career pathways. The student is expected to:                  (A) compare the differences between the educational requirements and roles of a licensed vocational nurse and a registered nurse;                   (B) diagram the educational requirements of a registered nurse, including diploma, associate degree, bachelor's degree, master's degree, and doctoral degree;                   (C) identify the different specializations of a nurse with a master's degree such as family nurse practitioner, nurse informaticist, nurse midwife, and nurse educator;                   (D) differentiate the roles of the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) prepared nurse; and                   (E) develop a six-year career plan in nursing.         
        (3) The student understands the functions of leadership in nursing. The student is expected to:                  (A) illustrate or diagram the relationship and progression within the hierarchy of nursing leadership;                   (B) identify critical skills and competencies for each level in the hierarchy of nursing leadership;                   (C) present and examine the impact of each level of nursing in the hierarchy of leadership; and                   (D) investigate and analyze different leadership styles and how they are used in different situations.         
        (4) The student demonstrates personal and professional leadership qualities and competencies. The student is expected to:                  (A) identify different personal growth practices such as self-reflection, introspection, self-care, and journaling;                   (B) describe and demonstrate intrapersonal skills such as empathy, patience, risk-taking, confidence, integrity, personal values and ethics, punctuality, and goal setting;                   (C) examine personal and professional values and ethics;                   (D) research and develop a plan to coach and mentor others; and                   (E) evaluate decision-making processes such as delegation, problem-solving processes such as conflict management, and processes to support patient satisfaction, patient safety, and patient advocacy.         
        (5) The student demonstrates the appropriate use of communication techniques. The student is expected to:                  (A) examine communication platforms and apply the appropriate professional response in different mediums such as telephone, email, text, electronic health records, and face to face;                   (B) demonstrate professional written and verbal communication skills for individuals and teams using communication tools such as Situation Background Assessment and Recommendation (SBAR) and Acknowledge Introduce Duration Explanation and Thank you (AIDET);                   (C) determine appropriate communication methods for urgent, emergent, and non-urgent situations such as team strategies and tools to enhance performance and patient safety (TeamSTEPPS); and                   (D) demonstrate receiving and giving constructive criticism.         
        (6) The student understands the definition and application of time management. The student is expected to:                  (A) demonstrate how to create an agenda that prioritizes tasks, duties, and responsibilities that must be completed, including required meetings and communications;                   (B) differentiate goals that advance professional growth and responsibility and non-professional goals;                   (C) identify factors that inhibit the good use of time and apply strategies that mitigate the loss of time; and                   (D) demonstrate how to manage long- and short-term personal and professional schedules by creating and updating a yearly calendar.         
        (7) The student understands how to build and manage interdisciplinary teams and facilitate teamwork. The student is expected to:                  (A) define and explain the purpose of an interdisciplinary team and the role of each member;                   (B) develop a plan for creating a team through team-building exercises, culture and climate awareness, and interpersonal skills;                   (C) define and apply techniques to manage personal conflict within teams; and                   (D) describe the stages of team evolution such as forming, storming, norming, performing, and transforming.         
        (8) The student understands regulatory agencies and boards and their related requirements. The student is expected to:                  (A) identify the role and responsibility of the Board of Nursing, including establishing graduation and licensure requirements;                   (B) identify federal, state, and local regulatory agencies such as local hospital boards, Health and Human Services, The Joint Commission, and Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services;                   (C) define and identify the nursing scope of practice;                   (D) compare the difference between a certification and licensure; and                   (E) compare the role of the Board of Nursing and professional nursing organizations.         
     Source Note:        The provisions of this §127.431 adopted to be effective April 26, 2022, 47 TexReg 2166