Bill Text: NJ S1381 | 2016-2017 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires State Board of Education regulations regarding school nurse certification to include certain minimum eligibility requirements.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-10-20 - Substituted by A1256 (1R) [S1381 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2016-S1381-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator CHRISTOPHER "KIP" BATEMAN
District 16 (Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset)
SYNOPSIS
Requires State Board of Education regulations regarding school nurse certification to include certain minimum eligibility requirements.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning school nurse certification and supplementing chapter 40 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. State Board of Education regulations prescribing the requirements for eligibility for an educational services certificate with a school nurse endorsement shall, at a minimum, require that a candidate for the endorsement:
a. is licensed as a registered nurse pursuant to the provisions of P.L.1947, c.262 (C.45:11-23 et seq.);
b. holds a bachelor's degree from a regionally-accredited college or university;
c. completes either a Department of Education-approved college curriculum for the preparation of school nurses or a program of studies, with a minimum of 30 semester hour credits, that includes study in subject areas determined by the State board and clinical experience in a school nurse office; and
d. completes a college-supervised school nurse practicum experience, a portion of which shall be completed in a school nurse office and a portion of which shall be completed in a classroom. The practicum experience may count toward the minimum 30 semester hour credit requirement.
2. State Board of Education regulations prescribing the requirements for eligibility for an educational services certificate with a school nurse/non-instructional endorsement shall, at a minimum, require that a candidate for the endorsement:
a. is licensed as a registered nurse pursuant to the provisions of P.L.1947, c.262 (C.45:11-23 et seq.);
b. holds a bachelor's degree from a regionally-accredited college or university; and
c. completes either a Department of Education-approved college curriculum for the preparation of school nurses or a program of studies, with a minimum of 21 semester hour credits, that includes study in subject areas determined by the State board and clinical experience in a school nurse office.
3. Nothing in this act shall be construed to limit the authority of the State Board of Education to prescribe additional eligibility requirements for a school nurse endorsement or a school nurse/non-instructional endorsement.
4. This act shall take
effect immediately.
STATEMENT
State Board of Education regulations at N.J.A.C.6A:9B-14.3 and 14.4 govern school nurse certification. In July of 2013, the State board adopted amendments to the certification requirements, which reduced credit requirements for a school nurse endorsement from 30 to 21 semester hour credits, and reduced credit requirements for a non-instructional school nurse endorsement from 21 to 15 semester hour credits. The amendments also eliminated the requirement that a candidate for a school nurse endorsement complete a minimum of 6 credits in a college-supervised school nurse practicum, half of which is completed in a school nurse office and the balance of which is completed in a classroom.
This bill codifies the previous State board certification requirements that a candidate for a school nurse endorsement must complete a minimum of 30 semester hour credits that includes study in subject areas determined by the State board and clinical experience in a school nurse office, in addition to holding a license as a registered nurse and a bachelor's degree. The bill also codifies the previous certification requirement that a candidate for a school nurse endorsement must complete a college-supervised school nurse practicum experience in a school nurse office and a classroom. With regard to non-instructional school nurses, the bill codifies the previous State board certification requirements that a candidate for a non-instructional school nurse endorsement must complete a minimum of 21 credits that includes study in subject areas determined by the State board and clinical experience in a school nurse office, in addition to holding a license as a registered nurse and a bachelor's degree.
The bill provides minimum requirements for school nurse certification and does not limit the authority of the State board to prescribe additional eligibility requirements for a school nurse endorsement or a school nurse/non-instructional endorsement.
