CHAPTER 157
RELATING TO STATE BOARD OF EXAMINERS FOR GRADUATE NURSES
AN ACT AMENDING CHAPTER 19, TITLE 24, DELAWARE CODE OF 1953, RELATING TO NURSING, BY AMENDING SECTION 1901, PERTAINING TO QUALIFICATIONS OF MEMBERS OF THE STATE BOARD OF EXAMINERS OF GRADUATE NURSES; SECTION 1902, BY AUTHORIZING THE STATE BOARD OF EXAMINERS OF GRADUATES NURSES TO APPOINT AN EXECUTIVE SECRETARY; SECTIONS 1903, 1905 AND 1906, RELATING TO FEES FOR REGISTRATION AND RE-REGISTRATION; AND SECTION 1904, LOWERING THE AGE REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLICANTS FOR REGISTRATION UNDER THE TERMS OF SAID CHAPTER.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Delaware:
Section 1. § 1901, Chapter 19, Title 24, Delaware Code of 1953, is amended to read as follows:
§ 1901. Board of Examiners of Graduate Nurses; appointment; qualifications; terms of office; vacancies
The State Board of Examiners of Graduate Nurses, heretofore established and hereafter in this chapter referred to as the "Board" shall consist of five members. The term of office of every member appointed under this section, except those appointed to fill vacancies occurring during any term of office, shall be for three years. All members appointed to the Board shall be graduate nurses and at least two of them shall have a degree in nursing or nursing education or education. All members of the Board shall have had at least three years' active practice as nurses and shall have taken advanced courses in nursing education.
Upon the expiration of the term of office of any member of the Board, under the terms hereof, a successor shall be appointed for a full term of three years by the Governor from a list of five nominations of qualified persons, as herein provided, furnished him annually by the Delaware State Nurses Association. All vacancies occurring on the Board for any cause other than expiration of term shall be filled by appointment by the Governor for the unexpired term from such annual list of nominations of qualified persons, or from an additional list of five names of qualified persons to be furnished the Governor upon request by him to the Association.
At least one member shall be chosen from qualified persons resident in the City of Wilmington, one from New Castle County, one from Kent County, and one from Sussex County. If no qualified person is available in any one or more of the foregoing subdivisions of this State, then and in such event only, qualified persons available in any other geographical subdivision, as set forth above, may be appointed to membership on said Board.
Section 2. § 1902, Chapter 19, Title 24, Delaware Code of 1953, is amended to read as follows:
§ 1902. Election of officers; quorum; special meetings; bylaws; supervision of training schools and hospitals; record of proceedings; register of nurses; compensation; revenue and expenses
(a) The members of the Board shall, annually in the month of June, elect from their members a President and a Treasurer.
(b) Three members of the Board shall constitute a quorum.
(c) Special meetings of the Board shall be called by the Executive Secretary upon written request of the President of the Board or the written request of any two members.
(d) The Board may adopt and promulgate such by-laws as may be necessary to govern its proceedings and to effectuate the intent and purpose of this chapter. It may formulate a curriculum and rules to be complied with by training schools and hospitals which have been duly accredited by the Board. It shall also provide for a systematic inspection of all schools of nursing in this State.
(e) The Board may appoint an Executive Secretary at an annual salary to be fixed by the Board. Such Executive Secretary shall also be entitled to his or her necessary travel and other expenses incurred in the discharge of his or her official duties. Such Executive Secretary shall keep a record of all meetings of the Board and maintain a register of names of all nurses duly registered under this Act, which shall at all times be open for inspection. Such Executive Secretary shall be a registered professional nurse and shall have had experience of at least three years in an administrative or teaching position in an accredited school of nursing. He or she shall have a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing, nursing education or education, and he or she shall have had advanced courses in the field of nursing education.
() The Board shall cause the prosecution of all persons violating any of the provisions of this chapter, and may incur necessary expenses in this behalf.
(a) The Executive Secretary shall visit each school of nursing whenever deemed necessary and desirable by the Board and submit a written report of such visit to the Board. From time to time, as deemed necessary by the Board, it shall be the duty of the Executive Secretary, or some member of the Board designated so to do, to survey all schools of nursing in this State to determine if they are prepared and qualified to carry out and are carrying out the prescribed basic curriculum for educating professional nurses. If the Board determines from such survey that any school of nursing is not maintaining the standards required by the Statutes and by the Board, notice thereof in writing specifying the defect or defects shall be immediately given to the school which thereafter shall correct these conditions within a year to the satisfaction of the Board. The Board is authorized to withdraw accreditation of any school of nursing which does not maintain the standards required by the Statute and by the Board.
(b) All fees and other money received by the Board shall be paid over to the State Treasurer, in accordance with Chapter 61 of Title 29.
(i) Expenses of the Board, within the limits of appropriations made to it, shall be paid by the State Treasurer upon warrants signed by the proper officers of the Board.
Section 3. The last sentence in § 1903, Chapter 19, Title 24, Delaware Code of 1953, is amended to read as follows:
Upon filing application for examination and registration, each applicant shall deposit a fee of $15.
Section 4. The paragraph designated as (1) in § 1904, Chapter 19, Title 24, Delaware Code of 1953, is amended to read as follows:
(1) Is twenty years of age;
Section 5. § 1905, Chapter 19, Title 24, Delaware Code of 1953 is amended by striking out the figures "$10" as they appear therein and substituting the figures "$15".
Section 6. § 1906, Chapter 19, Title 24, Delaware Code of 1953 is amended to read as follows:
§ 1906. Renewal of registration
Every nurse who is duly registered shall re-register every two years by filing an application to re-register during the month of January in any year that such applicant must re-register. When an applicant re-registers the applicant shall deposit a fee of $2.
Section 7. This Act shall take effect on the first day of June, A. D. 1953. All sections, sentences or parts of said Chapter 19, Title 24, of the Delaware Code of 1953 in conflict herewith shall be thereupon repealed.
Approved June 22, 1953.