Georgia Code
Article 1 - Georgia Registered Professional Nurse Practice Act
§ 43-26-7. Requirements for Licensure as Registered Professional Nurse; Requirements for Nontraditional Nursing Education Program

All preceptorships required pursuant to this division shall be arranged by the applicant under the close supervision of a registered professional nurse where such applicant is transitioned into the role of a registered professional nurse and the applicant performs duties typically performed by registered professional nurses. Except as otherwise provided in subdivision (II) of this division, a preceptorship shall be in an acute care inpatient facility or a long-term acute care facility; provided, however, that the board may authorize a preceptorship in other facilities to obtain specialized experience in certain areas. The preceptorship shall have prior approval of the board, and successful completion of the preceptorship shall be documented in writing by the preceptor stating that, in his or her opinion, the applicant has exhibited the critical thinking abilities, clinical skills, and leadership abilities necessary to practice as a beginning registered professional nurse. No later than August 1, 2011, the board shall develop and make available one or more standard forms for use by and assistance to applicants in securing and completing preceptorships. Such form or forms shall include information relating to the specific requirements for preceptorships, including the minimum qualifications of the preceptor, the type of training required, and the documentation required upon completion of the preceptorship. The board shall make the determinations required by this division in accordance with its established guidelines; or
For purposes of this paragraph, the term “health care facility” means an acute care inpatient facility, a long-term acute care facility, an ambulatory surgical center or obstetrical facility as defined in Code Section 31-6-2, and a skilled nursing facility, so long as such skilled nursing facility has 100 beds or more and provides health care to patients with similar health care needs as those patients in a long-term acute care facility;
(II) If the applicant entered the nontraditional nursing education program as a licensed practical nurse, had an academic education as a licensed practical nurse that included clinical training in pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, medical-surgical, and mental illness, and has at least two years of experience as a licensed practical nurse in any setting, although such experience shall be exclusive of night duty in a skilled nursing facility, but less than two years of experience in the five years preceding the date of the application in an acute care inpatient facility or a long-term acute care facility, as approved by the board, have completed a 320 hour postgraduate preceptorship. If the applicant can show that he or she cannot find a preceptorship in an acute care inpatient facility or a long-term acute care facility, the board may authorize a preceptorship pursuant to this subdivision in a skilled nursing facility, if such facility has 100 beds or more and such facility ensures to the board that the applicant will be providing health care to patients with similar health care needs as those patients in a long-term acute care facility;
(III) If the applicant entered the nontraditional nursing education program as (1) a paramedic with at least two years of experience as a paramedic or (2) a licensed practical nurse with less than two years of clinical experience in the five years preceding the date of the application in an acute care inpatient facility or a long-term acute care facility as a licensed practical nurse whose academic training as a licensed practical nurse did not include clinical training in pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, medical-surgical, and mental illness, have completed a 480 hour postgraduate preceptorship. Such preceptorship shall be in the area or areas as determined by the board on a case-by-case basis, which may include pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, medical-surgical, mental illness, and transition into the role of a registered professional nurse;
(IV) If the applicant entered the nontraditional nursing education program as a military medical corpsman and has at least two years of experience as a military medical corpsman, have completed a postgraduate preceptorship of at least 480 hours but not more than 640 hours, as determined by the board; or
(V) If the applicant does not meet the requirements of subdivision (I), (II), (III), or (IV) of this division and the applicant entered a nontraditional nursing education program before July 1, 2008, which meets the requirements of subsection (e) of this Code section and completes such program no later than June 30, 2015, have completed a 640 hour postgraduate preceptorship arranged by the applicant under the supervision of a registered professional nurse. The preceptorship shall have prior approval of the board, and successful completion of the preceptorship shall be verified in writing by the preceptor. The preceptorship shall be in an acute care inpatient facility or a long-term acute care facility; provided, however, that the board may authorize a preceptorship pursuant to this subdivision in other facilities to obtain specialized experience in certain areas.
History. Code 1981, § 43-26-7 , enacted by Ga. L. 1990, p. 747, § 1; Ga. L. 1994, p. 97, § 43; Ga. L. 2008, p. 378, § 2/HB 1041; Ga. L. 2009, p. 210, § 2/HB 475; Ga. L. 2011, p. 752, § 43/HB 142; Ga. L. 2011, p. 779, § 1C/SB 100; Ga. L. 2015, p. 954, § 2/HB 394; Ga. L. 2020, p. 493, § 43/SB 429.
The 2015 amendment, effective May 6, 2015, deleted “or” following the concluding semicolon in subparagraph (b)(2)(A); added “or” at the end of subparagraph (b)(2)(B); added subparagraph (b)(2)(C); deleted “and” following the concluding semicolon at the end of paragraph (b)(4); added paragraph (b)(5); redesignated former paragraph (b)(5) as paragraph (b)(6); substituted the present provisions of subparagraph (c)(4)(A) for the former provisions, which read: “Have practiced nursing as a registered professional nurse for a period of time as determined by the board or have graduated from a nursing education program within the four years immediately preceding the date of the application;” substituted “applicant who” for “applicant that” near the middle of the first sentence of subparagraphs (c)(4)(B) and (c)(4)(C); and substituted the present provisions of paragraph (d)(2) for the former provisions, which read: “Have practiced nursing as a registered professional nurse for a period of time as determined by the board or have graduated from an approved nursing education program, as defined in Code Section 43-26-3, within the four years immediately preceding the date of the application;”.
The 2020 amendment, effective July 29, 2020, part of an Act to revise, modernize, and correct the Code, substituted “licensure by endorsement” for “licensure by examination” in the third sentence of paragraph (c)(5).
Editor’s notes.
Ga. L. 2011, p. 752, § 54(e)/HB 142, not codified by the General Assembly, provides: “In the event of an irreconcilable conflict between a provision in Sections 1 through 53 of this Act and a provision of another Act enacted at the 2011 regular session of the General Assembly, the provision of such other Act shall control over the conflicting provision in Sections 1 through 53 of this Act to the extent of the conflict.” Accordingly, the amendments to subparagraphs (c)(4)(B) and (c)(4)(D) by Ga. L. 2011, p. 752, § 43/HB 142, were not given effect.

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