Chap. 191.—An ACT to regulate the professional nursing of the sick in the State
of Virginia.

Approved May 1, 1903.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That within
sixty days after the passage of this act the governor of this State shall
appoint a State board of examiners of graduate nurses, to be composed
of five members, to be selected by the governor from twelve nomina-
tions submitted to him by the Virginia State Association of Gradu-
ate Nurses. One of the members of this board shall be designated to
hold office one year, one for two years, one for three years, one for
four years, one for five years, and thereafter, upon the expiration
of the term of office of the person so appointed, the governor of the
State shall appoint a successor to each person whose term of office
shall expire, to hold office for five years, and the person so appointed
shall be selected by the governor from a list of seven nominations
submitted to him by the Virginia State Association of Graduate
Nurses. In case appointment of a successor is not made before the
expiration of the term of any member, such member shall hold office
until a successor is appointed and duly qualified. Any vacancy occur-
ring in membership of the board shall be filled by the governor of
this State for the unexpired term of such membership.

' 2. The members of the State board of examiners of registered
nurses shall, before entering on the discharge of their duties, make
and file with the secretary of the Commonwealth the constitutional
oath of office. They shall, as soon as organized, and annually there
after in the month of January, elect from their number a president
and a secretary, who shall be the treasurer. The treasurer, before en-
tering upon his or her duties, shall file a bond with the secretary of
Commonwealth for such sum as shall be required of him or her by
said secretary of Commonwealth. The board shall adopt rules and
regulations not inconsistent with this act to govern its proceedings,
and also a seal, and the secretary shall have the care and custody
thereof, and he or she shall keep a record of all proceedings of the
board, including a register of the names of all nurses duly registered
under this act, which shall be open at all reasonable times to public
scrutiny, and the board shall cause the prosecution of all persons vio-
lating any of the provisions of this act, and may incur necessary ex-
pense on that behalf. The secretary of the board may receive a
salary, which may be fixed by the board, and which shall not exceed
one hundred dollars per annum; she or he shall also receive travel-
ing and other expenses incurred in the performance of her or his offi-
cial duties. The other members of the board shall receive the sum
of one dollar for each day actually engaged in this service, and all
legitimate and necessary expenses incurred in attending the meet-
ing of said board. Said expenses and salaries shall be paid from the
fees received by the board under the provisions of this act, and no
part of the salary or other expenses of the board shall be paid out of
the State treasury. All money received in excess of the said per diem
allowance and other expenses provided for shall be held by the treas-
urer as a special fund for meeting the expenses of said board and the
cost of (annual) reports of the proceedings of said board.

3. Three members of the board shall constitute a quorum. Special
meetings of the board shall be called by the secretary upon written
request of any two members. The board shall adopt rules and regu-
lations for the examination of applicants for licenses, certificates, or
to practice professional nursing of the sick in accordance with the
provision of this act, and’ may amend, modify, and repeal such rules
and regulations from time to time. The board shall, immediately
upon the election of the officers thereof, and upon the adoption of its
Tules of government, or its rules and regulations for examination of
applicants for registration, file with the secretary of the Common-
wealth and publish in at least one journal devoted to the interest of
professional nursing and one daily newspaper published in the State
of Virginia at least twice, the name and address of each officer, and
a copy of such rules and regulations, or the amendment or modifica-
tion thereof.

4. Provision shall be made by the board hereby constituted for hold-
ing examinations at least twice in each year. All examinations shall
be made directly by said board or a committee of two members dele-
gated by the board, and due notice of the time and place of hold-
ing such examination as in the case provided for the publication of
the rules and regulations of said board. The examination shall be
of such character as to determine the fitness of the applicant to prac-
tice professional nursing of the sick. If the result of the examina-
tion of any applicant shall be satisfactory to a majority of the board,
the secretary shall, upon an order of the board, issue to the appli-
vant a certificate to that effect upon payment to the secretary by the
candidate of a fee of five dollars; whereupon the person named on
the certificate shall be declared duly licensed to practice professional
nursing in this State. Any persons from other States who shall show
to the satisfaction of the board that he or she is properly and duly
registered for the practice of professional nursing in such States, upon
bayment of usual fees for certificate is entitled to a license to practice
professional nursing in this State without an examination.

5. The applicant who desires to practice professional nursing shall
furnish satisfactory evidence that she or he is more than twenty-one
vears of age. is of good moral character, has received a sufficient pre-
iminary education, as may be determined by the board, and has gradu-
ats] from a training school of a general hospital of good standing,
a: may be determined by the board, and where at least two years’
raining in the hospital and systematic courses of instruction are given.
_ 6. Any person who shall show to the satisfaction of the board that
“ne or he graduated from a training school of a gencral hospital of
200d standing prior to the first day of January, nineteen hundred
ind four, or that she or he was engaged in the practice of profes-
‘onal nursing of the sick on the date of the passage of this act shall
re = to a license without passing an examination: provided,
such application shall, be made within twelve months after the pas-
sage of this act. . .

7. All persons who have duly received licenses or certificates in
accordance with the provisions of this act shall be known and styled
a registered nurse, and it shall be unlawful after one year from the
passage of this act for any person to practice professional nursing of
the sick as such for compensation without a license or certificate in
this State, or to advertise as or assume the title of trained nurse or
graduate nurse, or to use the abbreviation of “T. N.” or “G. N.,” or
any other words, letters, or figures to indicate that the person using
the same is a trained, registered, pr graduate nurse.

8. Any person violating any of the provisions of this act shall be
guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not less than fifty
dollars nor more than two hundred dollars for the first offense, and
not less than one hundred dollars nor more than five hundred dol-
lars for each subsequent offense. ;

9. This act shall not be construed to affect or apply to the gra-
tuitous nursing of the sick by friends or members of the family, and
also it shall not apply to any person nursing the sick for hire but
who does not in any way assume to be a registered or graduate nurse.

10. Any person who shall wilfully make any false representation
to the board of examiners in applying for a license shall be guilty of
a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not
less than five hundred dollars nor more than one thousand dollars.

11. The State board of examiners of graduate nurses shall have
the power to revoke any certificate or license issued im accordance
with this act by unanimous vote of said board for gross incompetency,
dishonesty, habitual intemperance, or any act derogatory to the morals
or standing of the profession of nursing, as may be determined by the
board; but before any license or certificate shall be revoked the holder
thereof shall be entitled to at least thirty days’ notice of the charge
against her or him, and of the time and place of hearing and deter-
mining of such charges, at which time and place she or he shall be
entitled to be heard. Upon the revocation of any certificate or li-
cense it shall be the duty of the secretary of the board to strike the
name of the holder thereof from the roll of registered nurses.

12. This act shall-be in force from its passage.