The following words and terms, when used in this chapter, shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
  (1) Academic course--A specific set of learning experiences offered in an accredited school, college or university.
  (2) Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN)--A registered nurse who:
    (A) has completed a graduate-level advanced practice registered nursing education program that prepares him or her for one of the four APRN roles;
    (B) has passed a national certification examination recognized by the Board that measures APRN role and population focused competencies;
    (C) maintains continued competence as evidenced by re-certification/certification maintenance in the role and population focus area of licensure through the national certification program;
    (D) practices by building on the competencies of registered nurses by demonstrating a greater depth and breadth of knowledge, a greater synthesis of data, and greater role autonomy, as permitted by state law;
    (E) is educationally prepared to assume responsibility and accountability for health promotion and/or maintenance, as well as the assessment, diagnosis, and management of patient problems, including the use and prescription of pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions in compliance with state law;
    (F) has clinical experience of sufficient depth and breadth to reflect the intended practice; and
    (G) has been granted a license to practice as an APRN in one of the four APRN roles and at least one population focus area recognized by the Board.
  (3) Approved--Recognized as having met established standards and predetermined criteria of the:
    (A) credentialing agencies recognized by the Board (applies to providers and programs); and
    (B) certifying bodies accredited by a national certification accreditation agency recognized by the Board.
  (4) Area of Practice--Any activity, assignment, or task in which the nurse utilized nursing knowledge, judgment, or skills during the licensing period. If a nurse does not have a current area of practice, the nurse may refer to his or her most recent area of practice.
  (5) Audit--A random sample of licensees selected to verify satisfactory completion of the Board's requirements for continuing competency during a biennial licensing period.
  (6) Authorship--Development and publication of a manuscript related to nursing and health care that is published in a nursing or health-related textbook or journal.
  (7) Board--The Texas Board of Nursing.
  (8) Certification--National nursing certification from an approved certifying body accredited by a national accreditation agency recognized by the Board.
  (9) Competency--The application of knowledge and the interpersonal, decision-making and psychomotor skills expected for the nurse's practice role, within the context of public health, safety, and welfare.
  (10) Contact hour--a measure of time, determined by Board recognized credentialing agencies and providers of continuing education, awarded to participants for successful completion of continuing education offerings.
  (11) Continuing Nursing Education (CNE)--Programs and activities beyond the basic scholastic preparation which are designed to promote and enrich knowledge, improve skills, and develop attitudes for the enhancement of nursing practice, thus improving health care to the public.
  (12) Continuing education offering--An organized educational program or activity approved through an external review process based on a predetermined set of criteria. The review is conducted by an organization(s) recognized by the Board to approve programs and providers.
  (13) Credentialing agency--An organization recognized by the Board as having met nationally predetermined criteria to approve programs and providers of CNE.
  (14) Licensing period--Period of time in which nursing licensure status is current; determined by the licensee's birth month and year, usually beginning on the first day of the month after the birth month and ending on the last day of the birth month. The specific time frame for initial licensure and for the immediate licensing period following renewal of a delinquent license or license reactivation may vary from six months to 29 months, as determined by Board policies; subsequent licensing periods will be two years in length.
  (15) Prescriptive authority--Authorization granted to an APRN who meets the requirements to prescribe or order a drug or device, as set forth in Chapter 222 of this title (relating to Advanced Practice Registered Nurses with Prescriptive Authority).
  (16) Program development and/or presentation--Formulation of the purpose statement, objectives and associated content and/or presentation of an approved CNE activity.
  (17) Program number--A unique number assigned to a continuing education offering upon approval which shall identify it regardless of the number of times it is presented.
  (18) Provider--An individual, partnership, organization, agency or institution approved by an organization recognized by the Board which offers continuing education programs and activities.
  (19) Provider number--A unique number assigned to the provider of continuing education upon approval by the credentialing agency or organization.
  (20) Shall, will, and must--Mandatory requirements.
  (21) Targeted continuing education--Continuing education offerings beyond the basic scholastic preparation which are designed to promote and enrich knowledge, improve skills, and develop attitudes for the enhancement of nursing practice that are directed by statute and Board rules at specific levels of licensure and/or areas of practice.

Source Note: The provisions of this §216.1 adopted to be effective August 16, 2009, 34 TexReg 5524; amended to be effective October 4, 2010, 35 TexReg 8917; amended to be effective February 23, 2014, 39 TexReg 982; amended to be effective November 10, 2014, 39 TexReg 8693; amended to be effective December 5, 2018, 43 TexReg 7766