A5059

An Act concerning nursing education and professional advancement and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. a. The Department of Health, in consultation with the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, shall develop an infection prevention course specifically designed for registered nurses employed in a long-term care facility. The Department of Health shall develop methods to encourage and incentivize registered nurses to complete the infection prevention course. The infection prevention course shall include, but shall not be limited to, instruction on the following topics:

(1) modes of transmission, incubation periods, host resistance, and susceptibility to various infections and communicable diseases;

(2) appropriate measures to prevent the spread of infection;

(3) processes used to sterilize, disinfect, and sanitize a health care facility;

(4) management and communication skills necessary for the coordination of an effective infection prevention program;

(5) regulations which govern infection prevention practice; and

(6) criteria for identifying health care associated infections in patients.

b. (1) The Department of Health, in consultation with the Board of Nursing, shall review nursing curriculum and develop methods to encourage registered nurses to enroll in post-acute care residency programs; and

(2) The Department of Health, in consultation with the Board of Nursing, shall review the educational and clinical experience requirements for the completion of a nursing degree and determine if the requirements should be modified to better prepare registered nurses to work in post-acute care settings.

2. a. The Department of Health shall develop an infection prevention course for certified nurse aides. The Department of Health shall include the infection prevention course as a required component of annual in-service education for certified nurse aides. The infection prevention course shall include, but shall not be limited to, instruction on the following topics:

(1) modes of transmission, incubation periods, host resistance, and susceptibility to various infections and communicable diseases;

(2) appropriate measures to prevent the spread of infection;

(3) processes used to sterilize, disinfect, and sanitize a health care facility;

(4) management and communication skills necessary for the coordination of an effective infection prevention program;

(5) regulations which govern infection prevention practice; and

(6) criteria for identifying health care associated infections in patients.

b. The Department of Health shall review current certified nurse aide curriculum, incorporate an infection prevention component into the curriculum, and make any other necessary modifications to the curriculum.

3. The Department of Health, in consultation with one or more long-term care facilities in this State and representatives of labor organizations, shall establish a pilot program to develop standards for the professional advancement of certified nurse aides. The standards for the professional advancement of certified nurse aides may be based on: previous work experience, education level, participation in educational opportunities, training, and work performance. The standards for the professional advancement of certified nurse aides may also be based on any applicable out-of-State models for the professional advancement of certified nurse aides.

4. The Commissioner of Health shall adopt rules and regulations, in accordance with the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), as are necessary to effectuate the provisions of this act.

5. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill requires the Department of Health (DOH) to establish certain nursing education and professional advancement programs.

Under the bill, the DOH, in consultation with the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, is to develop an infection prevention course specifically designed for registered nurses employed in a long-term care facility. The DOH is to develop methods to encourage and incentivize registered nurses to complete the infection prevention course. The infection prevention course is to include instruction on the following topics: (1) modes of transmission, incubation periods, host resistance, and susceptibility to various infections and communicable diseases; (2) appropriate measures to prevent the spread of infection; (3) processes used to sterilize, disinfect, and sanitize a health care facility; (4) management and communication skills necessary for the coordination of an effective infection prevention program; (5) regulations which govern infection prevention practice; and (6) criteria for identifying health care associated infections in patients.

The DOH, in consultation with the Board of Nursing, is to review nursing curriculum and develop methods to encourage registered nurses to enroll in post-acute care residency programs. The DOH, in consultation with the Board of Nursing, is to review the educational and clinical experience requirements for the completion of a nursing degree and determine if the requirements should be modified to better prepare registered nurses to work in post-acute care settings.

Under the bill, the DOH is to develop an infection prevention course for certified nurse aides. The DOH is to include the infection prevention course as a required component of annual in-service education for certified nurse aides. The infection prevention course is to include instruction on the same topics as the course designed for registered nurses. The DOH is to review current certified nurse aide curriculum, incorporate an infection prevention component into the curriculum, and make any other necessary modifications to the curriculum.

The bill provides that the DOH, in consultation with one or more long-term care facilities in this State and representatives of labor organizations, is to establish a pilot program to develop standards for the professional advancement of certified nurse aides. The standards for the professional advancement of certified nurse aides may be based on: previous work experience, education level, participation in educational opportunities, training, and work performance. The standards may also be based on any applicable out-of-State models for the professional advancement of certified nurse aides.