Title 32, Title 32

A nurse who is employed in a hospital or nursing home and involved in direct patient care shall, at the beginning of the nurse's employment, participate in an individualized controlled learning experience adjusted for competency based upon practice standards and protocols. Each h…

1. Disciplinary proceedings and sanctions. 1-A. Disciplinary proceedings and sanctions. The board shall investigate a complaint, on its own motion or upon receipt of a written complaint filed with the board, regarding noncompliance with or violation of this chapter or of rules ad…

It is a crime for any person, including a corporation, or association or individual, to: [PL 1993, c. 600, Pt. A, §117 (AMD).] 1. Fraudulent diploma or record. Sell or fraudulently obtain or furnish a nursing diploma, license, renewal or record or provide aid in doing so; 2. Frau…

A person who violates any provision of this chapter for which a penalty is not prescribed commits a civil violation for which a forfeiture of not more than $1,000 may be adjudged.

The Superior Court has jurisdiction, upon information filed by the county attorney at the request of the board, to restrain or enjoin an individual from committing an act declared to be a misdemeanor by this chapter. If it is established that the defendant has been or is committi…

An individual or health care facility acting in good faith is immune from civil liability to the licensee or applicant for licensure for the following actions: [PL 1993, c. 600, Pt. A, §119 (AMD).] 1. Making information available to the board. Making a report or other information…

For applications for licensure and for renewal of licensure submitted on or after July 1, 2004, an applicant or licensee shall provide the board with a current professional address and telephone number, which is the public contact address, and a personal residence address and tel…

1. Request for record; redaction. When the board receives a request to inspect or copy all or part of the record of an applicant or licensee, the board shall redact information that is not public before making the record available for inspection or copying. 2. Notice and opportun…

An individual licensed under this chapter may not be disciplined for providing expedited partner therapy in accordance with the provisions of Title 22, chapter 251, subchapter 3, article 5.

1. Background check. The board shall request a background check for each person who submits an application for initial licensure or licensure by endorsement under this chapter, including an application for multistate licensure under subchapter 2‑A. The background check must inclu…

An individual licensed or certified under this chapter may not advertise, offer or administer conversion therapy to a minor.

The State Board of Nursing, as established by Title 5, section 12004‑A, subsection 25, consists of 9 members who are appointed by the Governor. A full-term appointment is for 4 years. Appointment of members must comply with Title 10, section 8009. Members of the board may be remo…

Each member of the board must be a citizen of the United States and a resident of this State for at least 3 consecutive years prior to appointment and shall file with the Secretary of State an oath of office before beginning service. The board is composed of: [PL 1993, c. 600, Pt…

The board shall hold annual meetings at which it shall elect from its members a chair and a secretary. It may hold such other meetings during the year as it determines necessary to transact its business. Special meetings must be called by the secretary on the request of 2 members…

The Commissioner of Professional and Financial Regulation shall act as a liaison between the board and the Governor. The commissioner may not exercise or interfere with the exercise of discretionary, regulatory or licensing authority granted by statute to the board. The commissio…

The executive director must meet all the qualifications for professional nurse board members required in section 2152 and must, in addition, hold a master's degree in nursing.

Eligible members of the board shall be compensated according to the provisions of Title 5, chapter 379.

All money received by the board under this chapter must be paid to the Treasurer of State. The Treasurer of State shall place the money to the credit of the State Board of Nursing Fund. All amounts paid into this fund must be held subject to the order of the board to be used only…

1. Short title. This chapter may be known and cited as "the Nurse Licensure Compact," or "the compact." 2. Legislative intent. This compact is the Maine enactment of the Nurse Licensure Compact as revised by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. The form, format and te…

As used in this compact, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. [PL 2017, c. 258, Pt. A, §1 (NEW).] 1. Adverse action. "Adverse action" means an administrative, civil, equitable or criminal action permitted by a state's laws that …

1. Multistate license. A multistate license to practice registered or licensed practical or vocational nursing issued by a home state to a resident in that state is recognized by each party state as authorizing a nurse to practice as a registered nurse or as a licensed practical …

1. Other licenses. Upon receiving an application for a multistate license, the licensing board in the issuing party state shall ascertain, through the coordinated licensure information system, whether the applicant has ever held, or is the holder of, a license issued by any other…

1. Authority. In addition to other powers conferred by state law, a licensing board has the authority to: A. Take adverse action against a nurse's multistate licensure privilege to practice within that party state. (1) Only the home state has the power to take adverse action agai…

1. Participation. A party state shall participate in the coordinated licensure information system for all licensed registered nurses and licensed practical or vocational nurses. The coordinated licensure information system includes information on the licensure and disciplinary hi…

1. Commission established. The party states hereby create and establish a joint public entity known as the Interstate Commission of Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators. A. The commission is an instrumentality of the party states. [PL 2017, c. 258, Pt. A, §1 (NEW).] B. Venue is…

1. Rule-making powers. The commission shall exercise its rule-making powers pursuant to the criteria set forth in this section and the rules adopted under this section. Rules and amendments to rules become binding as of the date specified in each rule or amendment and have the sa…

1. Oversight. This subsection governs enforcement and proceedings under the compact. A. Each party state shall enforce this compact and take all actions necessary and appropriate to effectuate this compact's purposes and intent. [PL 2017, c. 258, Pt. A, §1 (NEW).] B. The commissi…

1. Effective date. This compact becomes effective and binding on the date of legislative enactment of this compact into law by no fewer than 26 states or December 31, 2018, whichever is earlier. All party states to this compact that were parties to the prior compact are deemed to…

This compact may be liberally construed so as to effectuate its purposes. The provisions of this compact are severable, and if any phrase, clause, sentence or provision of this compact is declared to be contrary to the constitution of any party state or of the United States or if…

An applicant for a license to practice professional nursing shall submit to the board written evidence, verified by oath, that the applicant: 1. Character. 2. High school. 3. Professional school. Has completed a course of study of not less than 2 years in an approved program in p…

An applicant for approval to practice advanced practice registered nursing shall submit to the board written evidence verified by oath that the applicant: [PL 1995, c. 379, §7 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 379, §11 (AFF).] 1. License. Holds a current license to practice as a registered prof…

The applicant is required to pass a written examination in subjects determined necessary by the board to ascertain the fitness of the applicant to practice professional nursing. If the applicant successfully passes the examination, the board shall issue to the applicant a license…

1. Fees authorized. The Commissioner of Health and Human Services may assess fees for certification of nursing assistants, for the competency testing of nursing assistants and for validation of test results to determine eligibility for certification and charge fees for certificat…

The board shall hold at least one examination annually at a place and at a time determined by the board.

The board may issue a license to practice professional nursing as a registered professional nurse under the following circumstances. [PL 1985, c. 361, §2 (NEW).] 1. Applicants licensed by other states, United States territories and Canadian provinces. The board may issue a licens…

The board may grant approval to practice as an advanced practice registered nurse to a person who qualifies pursuant to section 2201‑A. [PL 1995, c. 379, §8 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 379, §11 (AFF).] 1. Temporary approval to practice. Temporary approval to practice as an advanced practi…

The license of every registered nurse licensed under this chapter is renewable every 2 years, except as otherwise provided. At least 30 days before the date that the license expires, the board shall mail an application for renewal of license to each professional nurse who holds a…

Every applicant applying for a license to practice as a registered nurse shall pay a fee to the board as follows: 1. Examination. For examination, a fee not to exceed $100 payable on application; 2. Reexamination. For reexamination, a fee determined by the board not to exceed $10…

An individual who holds a current license to practice professional nursing in this State has the right to use the title "Registered Nurse" and the abbreviation "R.N." No other individual may assume the title or use the abbreviation or other words, letters, signs or devices to ind…

An individual holding a license as a registered nurse in the State issued by the former Board of Registration of Nurses that is valid on September 12, 1959 is licensed as a registered nurse under this chapter, and the renewal of the licenses for those individuals must be effectua…

1. Limits on opioid medication prescribing. Except as provided in subsection 2, an individual licensed under this chapter whose scope of practice includes prescribing opioid medication may not prescribe: A. To a patient any combination of opioid medication in an aggregate amount …

1. Definitions. For purposes of this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "Critical access hospital" has the same meaning as in Title 22, section 7932, subsection 10. [PL 2017, c. 188, §1 (NEW).] B. "Rural area" has …

A registered professional nurse and a certified nurse practitioner may dispense opioid medication for substance use disorder treatment purposes to patients within an opioid treatment program under the direction of the medical director of the opioid treatment program.

An applicant for a license to practice as a licensed practical nurse shall submit to the board written evidence, verified by oath, that the applicant satisfies one of the following qualifications: [PL 2017, c. 476, §1 (AMD).] 1. Education. 2. Approved program. The applicant compl…

The applicant is required to pass a written examination in subjects considered necessary by the board to determine the fitness of the applicant to practice practical nursing. Upon the applicant's successfully passing the examination, the board shall issue to the applicant a licen…

Time and place of examination shall be as provided in subchapter 3.