Introduction: The variability of nursing education quality and regulations between states raises questions about consistency of learner outcomes. The lack of standardization raises questions regarding its impact on new graduate nurses' transition to professional practice, their ability to provide safe patient care and the overall impact on public health. Methods: A policy analysis was conducted to evaluate the impact of the Florida Board of Nursing regulation for prelicensure nursing programs. Data was collected for all 50 states related to the guidelines for implementing clinical and simulation learning and was systematically reviewed. A thematic analysis identified key themes within the guidelines and facilitated comprehensive exploration of the data by systematically examining the approaches taken by each board. Results: The policy analysis revealed notable discrepancies among state boards on nursing related to regulatory standards, requirements, and guidelines. Some states provided clear and comprehensive regulations, other states guidelines were ambiguous or absent. When comparing the NCLEX pass rate for first time test takers, a mean difference of 2.5529% was observed in states with clinical and simulation guidelines versus states without regulation. Conclusions: While the analysis revealed notable discrepancies among state boards in their regulatory standards, no definitive data was found that provides a direct correlation between regulatory standards and nursing practice outcomes. By recognizing the potential for graduate nurses to have vastly difference education experiences, hospitals can facilitate processes to assist new graduate nurses' transition to practice. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]