Sec. 301.152. RULES REGARDING SPECIALIZED TRAINING

(a) In this section, "advanced practice nurse" means a registered nurse approved by the board to practice as an advanced practice nurse on the basis of completion of an advanced educational program. The term includes a nurse practitioner, nurse midwife, nurse anesthetist, and clinical nurse specialist. The term is synonymous with "advanced nurse practitioner."

(b) The board shall adopt rules to:

(1) establish:

(A) any specialized education or training, including pharmacology, that a registered nurse must have to carry out a prescription drug order under Section 157.052; and

(B) a system for assigning an identification number to a registered nurse who provides the board with evidence of completing the specialized education and training requirement under Subdivision (1)(A);

(2) approve a registered nurse as an advanced practice nurse; and

(3) initially approve and biennially renew an advanced practice nurse's authority to carry out or sign a prescription drug order under Chapter 157.

(c) At a minimum, the rules adopted under Subsection (b)(3) must:

(1) require completion of pharmacology and related pathology education for initial approval;

(2) require continuing education in clinical pharmacology and related pathology in addition to any continuing education otherwise required under Section 301.303; and

(3) provide for the issuance of a prescription authorization number to an advanced practice nurse approved under this section.

(d) The signature of an advanced practice nurse attesting to the provision of a legally authorized service by the advanced practice nurse satisfies any documentation requirement for that service established by a state agency.

Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1999. Amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1420, Sec. 14.121(a), eff. Sept. 1, 2001.