Posted: | March 10, 2017 01:42 PM |
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From: | Representative Brett R. Miller |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | Authorizing Graduates of Approved Foreign Nursing Schools to take the RN Licensure Examination |
In the near future I plan on introducing legislation to amend The Professional Nursing Law (Act 69 of 1951) to allow the State Board of Nursing to approve graduates of foreign professional nursing education programs to sit for the RN licensure examination, provided such programs are determined to be equivalent to which is required in Pennsylvania. Currently, the Professional Nursing Law allows graduates of nursing programs in foreign countries to sit for the RN licensure examination, but only if they have first been licensed, registered or duly recognized in their home country. If such graduates move to Pennsylvania before obtaining licensure in their home country, despite the fact they have completed their education and obtained their nursing degree, Pennsylvania's current law prohibits them from even being able to sit for the licensure examination here. In fact, PA's current law requires qualified students to either return to the country where they obtained their degree in order to get their license or go to a another state in the U.S. to get licensed, and only after either of these options, then apply to Pennsylvania to sit for the licensure examination in PA. This does not make sense and shows the need for this law to be changed. Please join me in co-sponsoring this proposed legislation to remove this obstacle which unnecessarily impedes otherwise qualified candidates from fulfilling the requirements to be a registered nurse in Pennsylvania. |
Introduced as HB2135