New Jersey-2012-A4053-Introduced

An Act concerning the membership of the New Jersey Board of Nursing and amending P.L.1947, c.262.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. Section 2 of P.L.1947, c.262 (C.45:11-24) is amended to read as follows:

2. a. The board; appointment; terms. In addition to the members appointed to represent the interests of the public pursuant to P.L.1971, c.60 [as amended by P.L.1977, c.285 (C.45:1-2.2)] (C.45:1-2.1 et seq.), the New Jersey Board of Nursing shall consist of [10] 12 members, six of whom shall be registered professional nurses, two of whom shall be licensed practical nurses, two of whom shall be nurse educators, one of whom shall be an advanced practice nurse, and one of whom shall be an additional public member, all to be appointed by the Governor. Appointments to the board shall be for terms of five years or for the unexpired portion of a term in the case of a vacancy for any cause within a term, and until a successor shall be appointed and qualified. In making appointments the Governor shall give due consideration to, but shall not be bound by, recommendations submitted by the various nurses' professional associations of this State. Upon notice and hearing, the Governor may remove from office any member of the board for neglect of duty, incompetency, unprofessional or dishonorable conduct.

b. Qualifications for appointment. The advanced practice nurse member shall be a resident of this State, shall be a graduate of an accredited advanced practice nurse program, shall have had at least five years' experience in professional nursing, shall at the time of appointment be actively working as an advanced practice nurse, and, except for the member first appointed, shall hold a certification as an advanced practice nurse pursuant to P.L.1991, c.377 (C.45:11-45 et al.). Each registered professional nurse member of the board shall be a citizen of the United States and a resident of this State; shall be a graduate of an accredited school of nursing within the United States; shall be a registered nurse in this State; shall have had at least five years' experience in professional nursing following graduation from an accredited school of nursing; and shall at the time of appointment be actively engaged in nursing or work relating thereto. The licensed practical nurse members of the board shall be citizens of the United States and residents of this State; shall hold a valid license to practice practical nursing in this State; shall have had at least three years' experience in practical nursing; and shall at the time of appointment be actively engaged in practical nursing or work related thereto. Each nurse educator member of the board shall be a resident of this State, shall be a registered nurse in this State, shall have at least five years' experience in professional nursing, and shall have been active as an educator or administrator in an approved program to train registered nurses.

c. Oath or affirmation of office. Within 30 days after receipt of the commission, each appointee shall take, subscribe and file in the office of the Secretary of State the oath or affirmation prescribed by law.

d. Duties and powers. The board shall have the following duties and powers: (1) It shall hold annual meetings and such other meetings as it may deem necessary at such times and places as the board shall prescribe and a majority of the board including one officer shall constitute a quorum. (2) It shall elect from its members and prescribe the duties of a president and secretary-treasurer, each of whom shall serve for one year and until a successor is elected. (3) It shall appoint and prescribe the duties of an executive secretary to the board who need not be a member thereof but who shall be a citizen of the United States, a graduate of a college or university with a major in nursing education, a registered nurse of this State with at least five years' experience in teaching or administration or both in an accredited school of professional nursing, or have equivalent qualifications as determined by the board. The executive secretary shall hold office during the will and pleasure of the board. (4) It shall employ and prescribe the duties of such persons as in its judgment shall be necessary for the proper performance and execution of the duties and powers of the board. (5) It shall determine and pay reasonable compensation and necessary expenses of the executive secretary and all employees of the board. (6) It shall pay to each member of the board the compensation hereinafter provided. (7) It shall have a common seal, keep an official record of all its meetings, and through its secretary-treasurer report annually to the Governor the work of the board. (8) It shall examine applicants for a license or renewals thereof, issue, renew, revoke and suspend licenses, as hereinafter provided. (9) It shall in its discretion investigate and prosecute all violations of provisions of this act. (10) It shall keep an official record which shall show the name, age, nativity and permanent place of residence of each applicant and licensee and such further information concerning each applicant and licensee as the board shall deem advisable. The record shall show also whether the applicant was examined, licensed or rejected under this and any prior act. Copies of any of the entries of the record or of any certificate issued by the board may be authenticated by any member of the board under its seal and when so authenticated shall be evidence in all courts of this State of the same weight and force as the original thereof. For authenticating a copy of any entry or entries contained in its record the board shall be paid a fee of $3.00, but such authentication, if made at the request of any public agency of this or any other jurisdiction, may be without fee. (11) In its discretion it may publish at such times as it shall determine a list of nurses licensed under this act, a list of schools of nursing accredited or approved under this act, and such other information as it shall deem advisable. (12) It shall prescribe standards and curricula for schools of nursing and evaluate and approve courses for affiliation. (13) It shall hear and determine applications for accreditation of schools of professional nursing, conduct investigations before and after accreditation of such schools and institutions with which they are affiliated, and issue, suspend or revoke certificates of accreditation as hereinafter provided. (14) It shall approve schools of practical nursing which shall conform to the standards, curricula, and requirements prescribed by the board, and suspend or revoke approval for violations thereof; provided, that this power shall not extend to schools operated by any board of education in this State. (15) It may consult with the Medical Society of New Jersey and the New Jersey Hospital Association with respect to any matter relating to the administration of this act and shall consult with those associations with respect to standards and curricula and any change thereof for schools of nursing. (16) It shall issue subpoenas for the attendance of witnesses and production of documents at any hearing before the board authorized by this act and any member of the board shall administer an oath or affirmation to persons appearing to give testimony at such hearings. (17) It may conduct any investigations, studies of nursing and nursing education and related matters, and prepare and issue such publications as in the judgment of the board will advance the profession of nursing and its service to the public. (18) It shall perform all other functions which are provided in this act to be performed by it or which in the judgment of the board are necessary or proper for the administration of this act. (19) It shall from time to time prescribe rules and regulations not inconsistent with this act. (20) It shall prescribe standards and curricula for homemaker-home health aide education and training programs which a homemaker-home health aide shall complete in order to work in this State. (21) It shall review applications to provide homemaker-home health aide training programs and shall issue, suspend or revoke program approval. (22) It shall establish and maintain a registry of all individuals who have successfully completed a homemaker-home health aide training and competency evaluation program. The board shall provide for the inclusion in the registry of information about the disqualification of any person from certification as a homemaker-home health aide pursuant to sections 7 through 13 of P.L.1997, c.100 (C.45:11-24.3 through 24.9), including the specific documented findings constituting the basis for that disqualification; except that the information shall indicate that the person was convicted of a crime or disorderly persons offense as described in section 7 of P.L.1997, c.100 (C.45:11-24.3), but shall not identify the conviction or convictions which constitute the basis for the disqualification. (23) It shall prescribe standards and requirements for a competency evaluation program resulting in certification of the homemaker-home health aide, and the renewal, revocation, and suspension of that certification. (24) It shall review applications for homemaker home-health aide certification and shall issue, suspend, revoke, or fail to renew certifications and conduct investigations pursuant to the provisions of P.L.1978, c.73 (C.45:1-14 et seq.). (25) It shall require that nursing school curricula include, and shall prescribe standards for, the training of registered professional nurses in the supervision of, and the delegation of nursing tasks to, unlicensed assistive personnel, and shall further prescribe standards establishing the criteria for determining those tasks which registered professional nurses may delegate to unlicensed assistive personnel working under their supervision and the type of supervision required with respect to those personnel. (26) It shall prescribe standards and requirements for unlicensed assistive personnel, including initial education and continuing education and a competency evaluation program, which these personnel shall satisfy in order to work in this State. As used in this paragraph and in paragraph (25) of this subsection, "unlicensed assistive personnel" means any unlicensed or uncertified personnel employed by a licensed health care facility that perform nursing tasks which do not require the skill or judgment of a registered professional nurse and which are assigned to them by, and carried out under the supervision of, a registered professional nurse. (27) It may require licensees to meet continuing education requirements as a condition of relicensure.

e. Compensation. Each member of the board shall receive $15.00 per day for each day in which such member is actually engaged in the discharge of duties and traveling and other expenses necessarily incurred in the discharge of duties.

(cf: P.L.2000, c.20, s.4)

2. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill increases the membership of the New Jersey Board of Nursing to 15 members by adding to the membership of the board two nurse educators. Each nurse educator member of the board shall be a resident of this State, shall be a registered nurse in this State, shall have at least five years' experience in professional nursing, and shall have been active as an educator or administrator in an approved program to train registered nurses.