Bill > S1050

Introduced Session

This bill would require registered professional nurses (RNs) who are initially licensed by the New Jersey Board of Nursing, on or after the effective date of the bill, to attain a baccalaureate degree in nursing within 10 years of their initial licensure. The bill authorizes a licensee who is not able to attain the degree within a 10-year period to request a one-time (up to two-year) extension of the requirement in order to complete the degree. The purpose of this bill to encourage newly-licensed RNs to advance their education in order to deliver the best quality care to their patients in an increasingly complex health care environment. Studies comparing patient outcomes with the educational background of nurses demonstrate that in hospitals with higher proportions of nurses educated at the baccalaureate level or higher, surgical patients experienced lower mortality and failure-to-rescue rates. Under the provisions of this bill, RNs will continue to be able to enter the nursing profession through associate degree and diploma nursing programs. These new nurses will then have 10 years to advance their professional education and complete a baccalaureate degree in nursing. The requirements of the bill will not affect nurses who received their nursing license prior to the effective date of the bill, although it is the sponsor's intent that currently licensed nurses also seek to advance their education and training. The bill also deletes obsolete language concerning licensure fees and duration of licenses, which is now provided for in Chapter 1 of Title 45 of the Revised Statutes.

Committee Categories

Joe Vitale (D)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee (on 01/31/2022)

Official Document