S-2199.1  _______________________________________________

                    SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5976

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1997 Regular Session

By Senate Committee on Health & Long‑Term Care (originally sponsored by Senators Deccio, Wojahn, Wood, Prentice, Franklin, Heavey, McAuliffe, Kline, Patterson, Thibaudeau and Kohl)

Read first time 03/05/97.

Clarifying who may legally use the title "nurse." 

    AN ACT Relating to the use of the title of nurse as a professionally licensed designation; and amending RCW 18.79.030.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

    Sec. 1.  RCW 18.79.030 and 1994 sp.s. c 9 s 403 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) It is unlawful for a person to practice or to offer to practice as a registered nurse in this state unless that person has been licensed under this chapter.  A person who holds a license to practice as a registered nurse in this state may use the titles "registered nurse" and "nurse" and the abbreviation "R.N."  No other person may assume ((that)) those titles or use the abbreviation or any other words, letters, signs, or figures to indicate that the person using them is a registered nurse.

    (2) It is unlawful for a person to practice or to offer to practice as an advanced registered nurse practitioner or as a nurse practitioner in this state unless that person has been licensed under this chapter.  A person who holds a license to practice as an advanced registered nurse practitioner in this state may use the titles "advanced registered nurse practitioner," ((and)) "nurse practitioner," and "nurse" and the abbreviations "A.R.N.P." and "N.P."  No other person may assume those titles or use those abbreviations or any other words, letters, signs, or figures to indicate that the person using them is an advanced registered nurse practitioner or nurse practitioner.

    (3) It is unlawful for a person to practice or to offer to practice as a licensed practical nurse in this state unless that person has been licensed under this chapter.  A person who holds a license to practice as a licensed practical nurse in this state may use the titles "licensed practical nurse" and "nurse" and the abbreviation "L.P.N."  No other person may assume ((that)) those titles or use that abbreviation or any other words, letters, signs, or figures to indicate that the person using them is a licensed practical nurse.

(4) Nothing in this section shall prohibit a person listed as a Christian Science nurse in the Christian Science Journal published by the Christian Science Publishing Society, Boston, Massachusetts, from using the title "Christian Science nurse," so long as such person does not hold himself or herself out as a registered nurse, advanced registered nurse practitioner, nurse practitioner, or licensed practical nurse, unless otherwise authorized by law to do so.

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