2700-2717
BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE
SECTION 2700-2717
2700. This chapter of the Business and Professions Code constitutes the chapter on professional nursing and shall be construed as revisory and amendatory of the laws heretofore enacted. It may be cited as the Nursing Practice Act. 2701. (a) There is in the Department of Consumer Affairs the Board of Registered Nursing consisting of nine members. (b) Within the meaning of this chapter, board, or the board, refers to the Board of Registered Nursing. Any reference in state law to the Board of Nurse Examiners of the State of California or California Board of Nursing Education and Nurse Registration shall be construed to refer to the Board of Registered Nursing. (c) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2012, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2012, deletes or extends that date. The repeal of this section renders the board subject to the review required by Division 1.2 (commencing with Section 473). 2702. Each member of the board shall be a citizen of the United States and a resident of the State of California. Four members shall represent the public at large, and shall not be licensed under any board under this division or any board referred to in Section 1000 or 3600 and shall have no pecuniary interests in the provision of health care services. Two members shall be licensed registered nurses under the provisions of this chapter, each of whom shall be active in the practice of his or her profession engaged primarily in direct patient care with at least five continuous years of experience, and who shall not be engaged as an educator or administrator of a nursing education program under the provisions of this chapter. One member shall be a licensed registered nurse who shall be active as an advanced practice registered nurse as defined in Section 2725.5. One member shall be a licensed registered nurse under the provisions of this chapter who shall be active as an educator or administrator in an approved program to train registered nurses. One member shall be a licensed registered nurse who is an administrator of a nursing service with at least five continuous years of experience. 2703. All appointments shall be for a term of four years and vacancies shall be filled for the unexpired term. No person shall serve more than two consecutive terms. The Governor shall appoint two of the public members and the licensed members of the board qualified as provided in Section 2702. The Senate Rules Committee and the Speaker of the Assembly shall each appoint a public member. 2706. The Governor has the power to remove any member of the board from office for neglect of any duty required by law, or for incompetency, or unprofessional or dishonorable conduct. 2707. The board shall annually elect from its members a president, vice president, and any other officers as it may deem necessary. The officers of the board shall hold their respective positions during its pleasure. 2708. (a) The board shall appoint an executive officer who shall perform the duties delegated by the board and who shall be responsible to it for the accomplishment of those duties. (b) The executive officer shall be a nurse currently licensed under this chapter and shall possess other qualifications as determined by the board. (c) The executive officer shall not be a member of the board. (d) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2012, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2012, deletes or extends that date. 2708.1. Protection of the public shall be the highest priority for the Board of Registered Nursing in exercising its licensing, regulatory, and disciplinary functions. Whenever the protection of the public is inconsistent with other interests sought to be promoted, the protection of the public shall be paramount. 2709. The board for the purpose of transacting its business shall meet at least once every three months, at times and places it designates by resolution. 2709.5. The board shall accept in payment of any fee required by this chapter cash or any customary or generally accepted medium of exchange, including check, cashier's check, certified check or money order. For the purposes of this section, customary or generally accepted medium of exchange does not include postage stamps. 2710. Special meetings may be held at such times as the board may elect, or on the call of the president of the board, or of not less than three members thereof. A written notice of the time, place and object of any special meeting shall be mailed by the executive officer to all members of the board who are not parties to the call, at least fifteen days before the day of the meeting. 2710.5. The board, with permission of the Director of the Department of Consumer Affairs, may form advisory committees to advise the board on the implementation of this chapter. Members of such advisory committees shall be entitled to a per diem and expenses as provided in Section 103. 2712. Five members of the board constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting. 2713. The board shall keep a record of all its proceedings, including a register of all applicants for licenses under this chapter and the action of the board upon each application. 2714. The office of the board shall be in the city of Sacramento. Suboffices may be established in Los Angeles and San Francisco and such records as may be necessary may be transferred temporarily to them. Legal proceedings against the board may be instituted in any county in which any of the three cities above mentioned is located. 2715. The board shall prosecute all persons guilty of violating the provisions of this chapter. Except as provided by Section 159.5, the board, in accordance with the provisions of the Civil Service Law, may employ such personnel as it deems necessary to carry into effect the provisions of this chapter. The board shall have and use a seal bearing the name "Board of Registered Nursing." The board may adopt, amend, or repeal, in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 11371), Part 1, Division 3, Title 2 of the Government Code, such rules and regulations as may be reasonably necessary to enable it to carry into effect the provisions of this chapter. 2716. Each member of the board shall receive a per diem and expenses as provided in Section 103. 2717. (a) The board shall collect and analyze workforce data from its licensees for future workforce planning. The board may collect the data at the time of license renewal or from a scientifically selected random sample of its licensees. The board shall produce reports on the workforce data it collects, at a minimum, on a biennial basis. The board shall maintain the confidentiality of the information it receives from licensees under this section and shall only release information in an aggregate form that cannot be used to identify an individual. The workforce data collected by the board shall include, at a minimum, employment information such as hours of work, number of positions held, time spent in direct patient care, clinical practice area, type of employer, and work location. The data shall also include future work intentions, reasons for leaving or reentering nursing, job satisfaction ratings, and demographic data. (b) Aggregate information collected pursuant to this section shall be placed on the board's Internet Web site. (c) The board is authorized to expend the sum of one hundred forty-five thousand dollars ($145,000) from the Board of Registered Nursing Fund in the Professions and Vocations Fund for the purpose of implementing this section. (d) This section shall be implemented by the board on or before July 1, 2003.