House OKs bill establishing NMI nursing board

The House of Representatives unanimously passed Friday a nursing practice bill that, among others, allows qualified nurses to prescribe and dispense medicines, and calls for the creation of a CNMI Board of Nurse Examiners.

This after the House Committee on Health and Welfare, chaired by Rep. Crispin M. Ogo, recommended its passage, citing that the existing law has not been updated since its enactment 22 years ago.

The bill now goes to the Senate for similar passage.

A portion of the bill, authored by Rep. Benjamin Seman, grants authority to Advanced Practice Registered Nurse “to prescribe and dispense drugs and therapeutic measures for patients as described within scope of practice, defined by the board and described in the written agreement entered into with the supervising physician.”

The bill primarily aims to regulate the practice of nursing through the establishment of the board.

The board would be empowered to issue nursing licenses, establish standards for educational programs for nursing students, and prescribe penalties for violations of the provisions of the proposed law.

The House panel, in its report, said that nurses have an indispensable role in the health care system.

“They are the ones who provide much of the direct care to patients and monitor how patients are recovering. Nursing care is critical in improving patient outcome,” it said.

The committee acknowledged that nurses have many duties, such as carrying out orders doctors give for patient care, plan patient treatment, monitor vital signs, read patient charts and reports, explain things to patients and family members in simpler terms, and the like.

“The committee finds that, because of their critical role in our health care system, the Legislature must re-establish the Commonwealth Board of Nurse Examiner,” lawmakers said.

The regulatory authority, they said, is needed in order to safeguard the life, health, property, and public welfare of the people of the Commonwealth and in order to protect local patients from the unauthorized, unqualified, and improper application of services by individuals in the practice of nursing.

Although the bill would require additional funding from the government, the lawmakers said that “the benefits of ensuring the safety and protection of the Commonwealth’s patients far outweigh any cost to be incurred.”

The bill recognizes six types of nurses: Registered Nurse, Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse, Graduate Nurse, Certified Technician, Certified Nursing Assistant, and Advanced Practice Registered Nurse.

Under the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse are Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, Certified Nurse Midwife, Nurse Practitioner or Certified Nurse Specialist.

The Advanced Practice Nurse is a term that includes nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, certified nurse-midwives, and nurse anesthetists. They are all registered nurses with advanced training and education, most with master’s degrees in nursing.

An advanced practice nurse must pass national licensing exams in order to practice and must maintain their licenses through ongoing educational activities and testing.

Although the scope of an Advanced Practice nurse’s practice varies from state to state, the committee said that their focus remains the same: health maintenance, disease prevention, counseling, and patient education.