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Senate wants board to
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Posted on Sep 15 2004
Realizing that health care is a growing industry, the Senate has approved a measure that seeks to empower the CNMI Board of Nurse Examiners to certify nurse assistants.
Based on Senate Bill 14-69, one may become a certified nurse assistant at a minimum age of 16. The applicant for certification, however, must have successfully completed a board-approved training program and examinations that test knowledge and skills on basic patient care services.
Part of the board’s powers that the bill seeks to provide includes prescribing minimum criteria and standards for educational programs for certification of nurse assistants.
“The certification of nurse assistants will promote the efficient provision of service to patients and increase the quality of treatment patients receive,” the bill states. “The Commonwealth and other members of the American political family will require a supply of certified nurse assistants if the quality of patient care is to be maintained.”
The bill proposes to empower the board to certify any applicant who has been duly certified as a nurse assistant or its equivalent in other jurisdictions, if it finds that the persons seeking certification meets the qualifications to become CNMI nurse assistants.
The bill seeks to allow a certified nurse assistant to place the initials “CNA” after her name when working in a licensed health facility to indicate her title.
