54-1401. PURPOSE — LICENSE REQUIRED — REPRESENTATION TO THE PUBLIC. In order to safeguard the public health, safety and welfare, it is in the public interest to regulate and control nursing in the state of Idaho, to promote quality health care services, to prohibit unqualified and dishonest persons from practicing nursing, and to protect against acts or conduct which may endanger the health and safety of the public.
(1) License required. It shall be unlawful for any person to practice nursing or offer to practice nursing unless that person is duly licensed pursuant to this chapter.
(2) Representation to the public. Only a person who holds a valid and current license to practice registered nursing in this state or a party state pursuant to sections 54-1408 and 54-1418, Idaho Code, may use the title "nurse," "registered nurse," "graduate nurse" or "professional nurse" or the abbreviation "R.N." or any other designations, titles or abbreviations to indicate that the person is practicing nursing in this state. Only a person who holds a valid and current license to practice practical nursing in this state or a party state pursuant to sections 54-1407 and 54-1418, Idaho Code, may use the title "nurse," "licensed practical nurse," or the abbreviation "L.P.N." or any other designations, titles or abbreviations to indicate that the person is practicing nursing in this state.
(3) All applicants for original licensure and for license reinstatement shall submit to a fingerprint-based criminal history check of both the Idaho central criminal database and the federal bureau of investigation criminal history database. All such applicants shall submit a full set of their fingerprints and any relevant fees directly to the Idaho board of nursing for forwarding to the appropriate law enforcement agency for processing. Criminal background reports received by the board from the Idaho state police and the federal bureau of investigation shall be used only for licensing decisions and handled and disposed of in a manner consistent with requirements imposed by the Idaho state police and the federal bureau of investigation.
History:
[54-1401, added 1977, ch. 132, sec. 2, p. 280; am. 2003, ch. 188, sec. 1, p. 510; am. 2004, ch. 268, sec. 1, p. 751; am. 2008, ch. 67, sec. 1, p. 172; am. 2012, ch. 142, sec. 1, p. 371; am. 2014, ch. 44, sec. 1, p. 116.]