49 Pa. Code Ch. 21 — State Board of Nursing

§ 21.152. Passage of the examination. Candidates for practical nursing licensure shall pass the licensure examination approved by the Board. Authority The provisions of this § 21.152 amended under section 506 of The Administrative Code of 1929 (71 P.S. § 186); and sections 8 and …

§ 21.153. Re-examination. (a) A candidate shall submit a re-examination application, including the required fee for re-examination. (b) The candidate may take the licensing examination as many times as necessary to pass the licensure examination. (c) Candidates who reapply for ex…

§ 21.155. Licensure by endorsement. (a) A practical nurse who has graduated from an approved practical nursing program in the United States or Canada and who obtained licensure in another jurisdiction of the United States or Canada upon having passed an examination considered by …

§ 21.156. Renewal of license. (a) Licenses for practical nurses expire on June 30 of each biennium in the even-numbered years. (b) When applying for licensure renewal, a licensed practical nurse shall: (1) Submit the renewal application, including disclosing a license to practice…

§ 21.156a. Continued competency. (a) A licensed practical nurse whose license has lapsed for 5 years or longer or has been placed on inactive status for 5 years or longer, as permitted in section 13.1(b) of the act (63 P.S. § 663.1(b)), may reactivate the license by doing one of …

§ 21.156b. Reporting of crimes and disciplinary action. (a) An LPN shall notify the Board of pending criminal charges within 30 days of the filing of the criminal charges or on the biennial renewal application under § 21.156 (relating to renewal of license), whichever is sooner. …

§ 21.156c. Reporting of address changes. A licensed practical nurse shall notify the Board within 14 days of a change of address. Authority The provisions of this § 21.156c issued under section 17.6 of the Practical Nurse Law (63 P.S. § 667.6). Source The provisions of this § 21.…

§ 21.157. Employment of practical nurses licensed outside of the United States, its territories or Canada. A person who holds a current and valid license or other evidence of the right to practice practical nursing issued by another country other than Canada may not be employed a…

§ 21.158. Qualifications of application for examination. Additional applicant qualifications are contained in section 5 of the act (63 P.S. § 655). Every applicant for examination as a licensed practical nurse shall furnish evidence satisfactory to the Board that the applicant is…

§ 21.16. Immunizations. (a) Immunization and skin testing is a proper function of a registered nurse and is a function regulated by this section, and the function may not be performed unless all of the following conditions are met: (1) A written order has been issued by a license…

APPROVAL OF PRACTICAL NURSING PROGRAMS § 21.161. Objectives. Practical nurse programs require approval for the following reasons: (1) To safeguard the preparation of practical nurses, and to assure safe standards of nursing practice in this Commonwealth. (2) To guide prospective …

§ 21.162. Types of approval. (a) The Board grants the following types of approval to nursing education programs: (1) Initial. The Board may grant initial approval to a new nursing education program, with evidence that the standards of this subchapter are being met, for a period o…

§ 21.162a. Failure to comply with standards. (a) If the Board receives information suggesting that a nursing education program has not maintained the standards of this subchapter, the Board will validate the information and notify the program, in writing, of the alleged deficienc…

§ 21.162b. Minimum rate for graduates of nursing education programs to pass the National licensure examination. A nursing education program shall prepare its graduates to pass the National licensure examination at a rate at least equal to the minimum rate set by the Board. The mi…

§ 21.166. Removal from approved list. (a) The Board may remove a nursing education program from the approved list in accordance with the following procedures if the program fails to meet and maintain minimum standards, including the minimum passing rates on the National licensure…

§ 21.17. Anesthesia. The administration of anesthesia is a proper function of a registered nurse and is a function regulated by this section; this function may not be performed unless: (1) The registered nurse has successfully completed the educational program of a school for nur…

§ 21.172. Establishment. (a) A controlling agency may be a hospital, educational institution or combination thereof. The controlling agency desiring to establish or conduct an approved program of practical nursing shall submit a written proposal to the Board. If the practical nur…

§ 21.173. Discontinuance or interruption of a program of practical nursing. (a) Written notification of intent to discontinue a program of practical nursing shall be submitted to the Board within a reasonable period of time, but not less than 6 months prior to a discontinuance. (…

§ 21.18. Standards of nursing conduct. (a) A registered nurse shall: (1) Undertake a specific practice only if the registered nurse has the necessary knowledge, preparation, experience and competency to properly execute the practice. (2) Respect and consider, while providing nurs…

ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION OF PRACTICALNURSING PROGRAMS § 21.181. Administrative authority. (a) The practical nursing program shall be established as an educational unit of the controlling agency. (b) The authority and the administrative responsibility for the program shall …

§ 21.182. Advisory committee. (a) If an advisory committee exists, the membership shall consist of representatives from practical nursing, professional nursing, general education and other community groups. The nurse in charge of the practical nursing program shall be a member of…

§ 21.183. Budget. Budgetary funds shall be allocated by the controlling agency to administer the program effectively. The nurse in charge of the program and the administrative officers of the controlling agency shall prepare an annual budget based on desired needs for growth and …

§ 21.184. Cooperating agencies. (a) The agreement between the program and each of the cooperating agencies shall be written and signed by the administrators of the program and the cooperating agency and shall identify the responsibility and authority of each party. The agreement …

§ 21.18a. Impaired professional program. When the Board is empowered to take disciplinary or corrective action against a nurse for conduct defined as a sexual violation or sexual impropriety, the nurse will not be eligible for placement into an impaired professional program under…

ADMINISTRATIVE AND INSTRUCTIONAL PERSONNEL § 21.191. Faculty and staff complement. The minimum faculty and clerical personnel required in each program is as follows: (1) A full-time nurse director or nurse coordinator. (2) Full-time nursing instructors must be adequate in number …

§ 21.192. Faculty qualifications. (a) The qualifications of the nurse director or nurse coordinator shall be as follows: (1) Graduation from an approved school of professional nursing. (2) Current registration as a professional nurse in this Commonwealth. (3) A baccalaureate degr…

§ 21.193. Faculty policies. (a) The faculty shall be employed by and responsible to the educational institution. (b) Faculty members shall meet the requirements of the parent institution for faculty appointments. (c) Policies, including personnel policies, in effect for nursing f…

§ 21.194. Faculty organization. (a) There shall be a nursing faculty organization appropriate to the size of the group. (b) Policies and rules of procedure of the faculty organization shall be in written form and shall be reviewed periodically by the faculty. (c) Members of the f…

§ 21.2. Scope. (a) The Board administers the act by providing rules and regulations on standards for nursing schools and the conduct of the programs. (b) The Board provides for licensure of graduate nurses from approved schools by examination, by endorsement and by renewal of lic…

LICENSES § 21.20. Licensure by examination. An applicant for licensure by examination shall comply with the requirements of § 21.23 (relating to application for examination), pass the examination and complete at least 3 hours of approved training in child abuse recognition and re…

CURRICULUM § 21.201. Philosophy, purposes and objectives. (a) The philosophy and objectives of the program shall be formulated, agreed upon and implemented by the faculty and shall be in accordance with the philosophy and objectives of the controlling agency. The philosophy and o…

§ 21.202. General curriculum requirements for practical nursing programs. (a) The curriculum shall be designed to meet the stated objectives of the program. (b) The program of study shall reflect sound principles of general education and practical nursing education. (c) The curri…

§ 21.203. Specific curriculum requirements for practical nursing programs. (a) The curriculum shall be based upon the philosophy and objectives of the program and shall be developed, implemented and evaluated by the faculty. (b) The curriculum shall be organized and developed to …

§ 21.204. Changes in curriculum. (a) Changes that are a departure from the requirements of the program and which shall be submitted to the Board for approval include the following: (1) Changes in the objectives of the program which require alteration of the present curriculum or …

§ 21.21. Application for examination. (a) A candidate for the licensing examination may submit an application together with the required fee no sooner than 90 days prior to completing a professional nursing education program. (b) A candidate will not be authorized to take the exa…

FACILITIES FOR ADMINISTRATION AND TEACHING § 21.211. Facility and resource requirements. (a) The physical structures that serve the purpose of the practical nursing program and are available for student or faculty or both use include those that are provided in the immediate envir…

STUDENTS § 21.221. Selection and admission. (a) Admission standards shall conform with the following: (1) Policies and procedures related to the selection and admission of students are the responsibility of the individual program. Consideration shall be given to scholastic aptitu…

§ 21.222. Student services. (a) Health program. There shall be written objectives and policies for the health program. (b) Program requirements. The health program shall include at least the following: (1) Preentrance and periodic health examinations. (2) Provisions for necessary…

§ 21.223. Student’s rights. There shall be written specified policies relating to students’ rights and grievances with procedures for implementation. Source The provisions of this § 21.223 adopted July 1, 1983, effective July 2, 1983, 13 Pa.B. 2061.

§ 21.23. Qualifications of applicant for examination. (a) An applicant shall demonstrate proficiency in English by submitting proof that the applicant’s nursing education program was conducted in English or that the applicant has, prior to being approved to take the licensure exa…

RECORDS § 21.231. Program records and record maintenance. A record system essential to the operation of the program shall be maintained. Records shall be kept in locked fire-proof files. A nursing faculty shall select record forms specifically for the practical nursing program wh…

§ 21.232. Records required to be filed in the Board office. (a) An annual report of the practical nursing program shall be sent to the Board using the form supplied by the Board. (b) Upon completion of the entire program a transcript or photocopy of the final record of the studen…

§ 21.233. Custody of records. (a) When a program closes, the controlling agency shall be responsible for the safekeeping of the records of its students; and official copies shall be made available upon request. If the controlling agency also closes, advice should be obtained from…

§ 21.234. Access and use of records. (a) Students shall have access to personal records as provided by Federal and State legislation. (b) Information shall be released from a student’s record only in accordance with Federal and State law. Authority The provisions of this § 21.234…

§ 21.24. Passage of the licensure examination. The candidate for licensure shall pass the licensure examination approved by the Board. Authority The provisions of this § 21.24 issued under section 506 of The Administrative Code of 1929 (71 P.S. § 186); and section 1 of The Profes…

§ 21.25. Re-examination. (a) A candidate shall submit a re-examination application, including the required fee for re-examination. (b) The candidate may take the licensing examination as many times as necessary to pass the licensure examination. (c) Candidates who apply for re-ex…

GENERAL PROVISIONS § 21.251. Definitions. The following words and terms, when used in this subchapter, have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: Act—The Professional Nursing Law (63 P.S. § § 211—225.5). Board—The State Board of Nursing of the Co…

§ 21.253. Fees. (a) The following application fees are charged by the Board for services to licensees and applicants: CRNP Certification—Board-approved nursing education program graduates… $100 CRNP Certification—graduates of out-of-State nursing education programs … $140 Verific…

LEGAL RECOGNITION § 21.261. Use of title; authorization to practice. (a) A professional nurse who has satisfactorily met the requirements set forth in the act and this subchapter and holds current certification as a CRNP or whose certification is maintained on inactive status may…

CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS § 21.271. Certification requirements. (a) Initial certification. An applicant for initial certification shall meet the following requirements: (1) Registered nurse license. An applicant for certification shall hold a current, unrestricted license as a p…