Evers approves rule changes to allow qualified RNs to teach clinical courses

WISCONSIN – Last week, Governor Tony Evers announced that he approved new changes to Wisconsin’s faculty approval process for nursing schools, allowing for qualified Registered Nurses (RNs) to teach clinical courses if they meet certain criteria.

A release from Evers’ office said the emergency rule change follows a recommendation by the Governor’s Task Force on the Healthcare Workforce, established by the governor in 2024, to expand the pool of qualified individuals able to teach healthcare students.

“In addition to this recommendation, the Governor’s Task Force on Healthcare Workforce includes 10 recommendations and 26 action items with the goal of addressing the state’s longstanding healthcare workforce shortages that have plagued the state for years,” the release stated.

According to the release, 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 in order to teach clinical courses in nursing programs. Now, under this new pathway, qualified faculty must:

• Hold a bachelor’s degree in nursing;
• Be a current, active and unencumbered RN with license or privilege to practice in Wisconsin;
• Have at least two years of clinical experience relevant to the specific clinical area that they would be teaching;
• Be enrolled in a graduate program and maintain steady progress towards 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; and
• Practice under the supervision of an RN who meets traditional qualifications.

The new emergency rule change follows suit with at least 12 other states’ nursing faculty accreditation requirements, including Michigan, and is supported by the dean of the Marquette University College of Nursing, the Wisconsin Hospital Association, the dean of the College of Allied Health and College of Nursing at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, the Association of Nursing Education of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Nurses Association, according to the release.

“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 stated. “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. This emergency rule change will help alleviate significant nursing school staffing shortages and reduce barriers to the nursing practice.”

The Board of Nursing will continue promulgation of a permanent rule relating to faculty accreditation standards, and a public hearing on the draft permanent rule is scheduled for Sept. 10, at 9:30 a.m., the release said.