36-1803. Student nurse clinical rotation and licensed or certified nurse training pilot program; preceptor training; expansion; grants; definition
(Rpld. 1/1/27)
A. The student nurse clinical rotation and licensed or certified nurse training program is established in the administration to expand the capacity of preceptor training programs at health care institutions for nursing students and licensed or certified nurses.
B. Except as provided in section 36-1804, the administration shall develop a grant program to distribute monies appropriated for the student nurse clinical rotation and licensed or certified nurse training program to health care institutions that are licensed pursuant to chapter 4 of this title only to expand or create clinical training placements for undergraduate nursing students and licensed or certified nurses to transition to practice and increase specialty nursing skills. Eligible preceptor training programs may include programs for nursing assistants, licensed practical nurses, registered nurses and advanced practice nurses, including nursing assistant programs offered by assisted living centers, assisted living facilities and nursing care institutions and approved by the Arizona state board of nursing.
C. The grant monies are intended to supplement and not supplant existing preceptor or training program expenses covered by the health care institution grantee. A health care institution applying for a grant for a licensed or certified nurse training program pursuant to this section shall include matching monies from a revenue source other than the state general fund.
D. The administration shall establish an application process for the grant program and may award grants for multiyear programs. Proposals must include outcome goals and measurements of the number of nurses planned to be trained and retention targets. The administration shall consider the following factors when determining grant awards:
1. The geographic and population distribution.
2. The number of nurses planned to be trained and retained.
3. The cost of the proposal for the number of nurses expected to participate and to be retained compared to other proposals.
E. The administration may use monies appropriated for the purposes of this section for program administration costs and, if deemed necessary by the administration, to contract with individuals or entities to administer all or any of the elements of the program.
F. The administration may use private donations, grants and federal monies to implement, support, promote or maintain the program or to supplant monies appropriated from the state general fund. The administration shall use all other funding sources for the grant program before using any state general fund monies.
G. The administration may terminate the funding of a grant if outcomes reported pursuant to section 36-1805 demonstrate that the grant proposal is not performing as planned. Monies returned may be used for the other grant proposals.
H. For the purposes of this section, "licensed or certified nurse" means a nurse who is or becomes licensed or certified while participating in the training program and who is new to practice.