(1) Except as provided in subdivision (1)(a)(iv) of section 38-2419 and section 38-2426, in order for a person to become licensed as a nursing home administrator, he or she shall complete an administrator-in-training program or a mentoring program. The administrator-in-training program shall occur in a nursing home under the direct supervision of a certified preceptor, and it may be gained as an internship which is part of an approved associate degree. A mentoring program shall occur in a nursing home under the supervision of a certified preceptor. The certified preceptor in a mentoring program need not be at such facility during the period of such supervision but shall be available to assist with questions or problems as needed. A mentoring program may be gained as an internship which is part of a degree or advanced degree. A person in a mentoring program may apply for a provisional license as provided in section 38-2423.

(2) An applicant may begin his or her administrator-in-training or mentoring program upon application to the department with the required fee, evidence that he or she has completed at least fifty percent of the core educational requirements, and evidence of an agreement between the certified preceptor and the applicant for at least six hundred forty hours of training and experience, to be gained in not less than four months. Such training shall occur in a Nebraska-licensed nursing home under a certified preceptor.

(3) The certified preceptor shall submit a report to the department by the fifth day of each month for the duration of the administrator-in-training or mentoring program, describing the nature and extent of training completed to date. At the conclusion of the program, the certified preceptor shall report to the department whether the applicant has successfully completed the board‘s approved course for such program. With the concurrence of the certified preceptor, the applicant may remain in such program until successfully completed or may reapply to enter another administrator-in-training or mentoring program.

(4)(a) The administrator-in-training or mentoring program shall occur under the supervision of a certified preceptor. An applicant to become a certified preceptor shall (i) be currently licensed as a nursing home administrator in the State of Nebraska, (ii) have three years of experience as a nursing home administrator in the five years immediately preceding certification, and (iii) complete a preceptor training course approved by the board.

(b) All preceptor certificates shall expire on December 31 of every fourth year beginning December 31, 2000. Before acting on an application for renewal, the board shall review the performance of the applicant. Such review may include consideration of survey and complaint information, student evaluations, and any other related information deemed relevant by the board. The board may deny an application for renewal upon a finding that the applicant’s performance has been unsatisfactory based on such review.