o Holder of Bachelor’s degree in Nursing
o Minor Qualifications include Birth Certificate and the
Knowledge of this act provides guidance for nurses practicing
in the Philippines, providing for a more responsible nursing
profession. This also gives the nurses and the public
protection from any wrong doings in the nursing profession.
Important Dates:
• October 08, 2002 – Approval of the House of Senate
(Senate Bill No. 2293)
• October 15, 2002 – Approval of Congress (House Bill No.
1084)
• October 21, 2002 – Approved by President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo
Principal Authors:
1. House of Congress: Honorable Carlos Padilla
2. Senate: Honorable Juan Flavier
The Philippine Nursing Act of 2002 – R.A. 9173 was approved
on October 21, 2002 by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Article I – Title
Act regulating the practice of nursing in the Philippines for a
more responsive nursing profession repealing RA 7164 –
Philippine Nursing Law 1991
Article II – Declaration of Policy
The responsibility to protect and improve the nursing
profession, provision of good, human working conditions and
a dignified existence in the nursing profession.
Article III – Organization of the Board
• Creation and composition
The Board of Nursing is composed of one (1) chairman
and six (6) members.
• Qualifications
o Natural born citizen – resident of the Philippines
o Registered Nurse in the Philippines with a Masteral
degree
o Member of good standing of accredited professional
organization (PNA)
o Ten (10) years of experience/nursing practice and
the last 5 years should be in the Philippines
o Not convicted for any unprofessional, unethical or
dishonorable conduct
• Membership to the board shall represent the 3
areas in nursing
o Nursing education
o Nursing practice/service
o Community Health Nursing
• Term of office is 3 years and former board
members may be reappointed.
• Powers and duties
o Conduct licensure exam for nurses. Is the essence
of the board.
o Issue, suspend, revoke the certificate of registration.
o Conduct hearings and investigation to resolve
complaints against nurse practitioner. I.E. Unethical
conduct and unprofessional conduct.
o Promulgate the code of ethics in coordination with
the accredited professional organization.
o Prescribe, adopt, issue, promulgate guidelines,
regulations necessary for the improvement of
nursing profession.
• Removal or suspension of Board members
o Continued neglect of duty (Incompetency)
o Commission or toleration of irregularities in the
licensure exam
o Unprofessional, unethical, or dishonorable conduct
Article IV – Examination and Registration
A written licensure exam for nurses is held two times a year
in June and December.
• Qualifications
o Citizen of the Philippines
o With good moral character
1
OR DR Cases
• Revocations
o Violations in the rules and regulations, code of
ethics, for nurses, technical standards for nursing
practice
o For practicing his or her profession during
suspension from such practice
Article V – Nursing Education
Section 25 – Learning experience must abide to the
curriculum prescribed by CHED
• Sound foundation for the practice of nursing
o General foundation
o Professional foundation
• Implementing rules and regulation provision.
• Learning outcome is based on two core
competencies:
o National nursing competencies
o Universal/Global nursing competencies
• Setting Learning Experiences
o Classroom
o Hospital
o Home
o Health/Welfare agencies
Section 26 – Requirements for inactive nurses
One (1) month didactic program and three (3) months
practicum.
Section 27 – Qualifications for the Faculty and Dean
Faculty
• Must be a registered nurse in the Philippines
• Must have at least one (1) year of clinical experience in
the field of nursing or specialization
• Is a holder of a Masteral degree in Nursing education or
allied medical and health sciences, conferred by the
recognized College of Nursing
Dean
• Must be a registered nurse in the Philippines
• Is a holder of a Master’s Degree in Nursing
• years of experience in the field of nursing
Article VI – Nursing Practice
Section 28 – Scope of the Nursing Practice
Changes:
• Removal of the phrase “fee, salary, reward, or
compensation” in regards to the provision of service by
nurses.
• Specifying various stages pf developments where nursing
care can be implemented
• Identifying 2 major roles of the nurse: Independent
nurse practitioner and Member of the health team
• Exclusion of steps in the nursing process
• Allowing the nurse to perform specific procedures. I.E.
Suturing perineal laceration (with training)
• Inclusion of the duty providing health education
Nursing Care Reiterated:
• Utilizing traditional and innovative approaches
• Therapeutic use of self
• Performing health care techniques and procedures
• Delivery of Primary Health Care
• Delivery of comfort measures
• Communicating health teachings
• Administration of written prescription for treatment,
therapies, and medication
Scope of Nursing Practice
• Provision of nursing care through utilization of nursing
process
• Establish linkages with community resources in
coordination with the health team
• Provide health education to individuals, families, and
communities.
• Teach, guide, and supervise students in nursing
education program including administration og nursing
services (in-service nursing education)
• Undertake nursing and health human resources,
development training
Section 29 – Qualifications of the Nursing Service
Administrators
• Must be a registered nurse in the Philippines
• Must have 2 years of experience in general nursing
service administration
• Must possess a Bachelor’s degree in nursing and have 9
units of management courses
• Member of a good standing, accredited professional
organization
Chief Nurse
• 5 years of supervisory or managerial position in nursing
• Master’s degree in nursing
Changes:
• Enriched provision: must possess BSN and 9 units in
management
• Provision that requires a Masteral in Nursing Service
administration was removed.
Article VII – Health Human Resource Production,
Utilization and Development
Section 30 – Board of Nursing
Studies for nursing manpower needs, production, utilization
and development. The board could coordinate with:
• PNA – Designing research proposal
• CHED, ADPCN – For curriculum on nursing education,
training students, and nurses in academe.
• DOH, ANSAP, DepEd, PHA – For the utilization of nurse
• DOLE – Availment of benefits; improvement of nurse’s
welfare
• DILG – Deployment of nurses or practitioners to the field
and strategies for community development
• PhilHealth – Benefits of patient and health care
practitioners
Section 31 – Comprehensive Nursing Specialty Program
Purpose: To upgrade skills and competence of specialty
nurse clinician. Area:
• Critical care
• Oncology
• Renal
• Other areas to be determined by the board
Implementing rules and regulations: Provided that those
who will avail shall be issued a certificate of completion and is
expected to serve Philippine hospitals for at least 2 years of
continuous service.
Section 32 – Salary (Grade 15)
Applicable to government hospitals, RA 6758 – Compensation
and classification Act of 1989.
Section 33 – Funding for the Comprehensive Nursing
Specialty Program
Public Nurses or Government Nurses
• Target no. of nurses to be trained is 10% or more of the
nursing staff of the participating government hospital
• Annual financial requirement for training chargeable to
the income of the following: Philippine Charity
Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), Philippine Amusement and
Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR). The Department of
Health (DOH) approves, provides the criteria and
guideline and the availment of the program.
Section 34 – Incentive and Benefits
• BON shall establish an incentive and benefit system
• Form of free hospital care (Nurses, dependent,
scholarship grants, other non-cash benefits)
• Government and private hospitals are mandated to
maintain the standard nurse patient ratio set by the DOH
o Government hospitals – 1 nurse: 10 patients
o Private Hospitals – 1 nurse: 5 patients or 1 nurse: 7
patients
Article VIII – Penal and Miscellaneous Provisions
Section 35 – Prohibitions in the Practice of Nursing.
A fine of not less than Fifty thousand pesos
(P50,000.00) not more than One hundred thousand
pesos (P100,000.00) or imprisonment of not less than
one (1) year nor more than six (6) years, or both, on the
discretion of the court, shall be imposed upon:
• To any persons practicing nursing in the Philippines:
1. Without a certificate of registration/professional
license and professional identification card or special
temporary permit or without having been declared
exempt from examination
2. Uses as his own certificate of
registration/professional license and professional
identification card or special temporary permit of
another person
3. If the person uses an invalid certificate of
registration/professional license, a suspended or
revoked certificate of registration/professional
license, or an expired or canceled special/temporary
permit
2
4. If the person gives any false evidence to the
Board in order to obtain a certificate of
registration/professional license, a professional
identification card or special permit
5. Falsely poses or advertises as a registered and
licensed nurse or uses any other means that
tend to convey the impression that he is a
registered and licensed nurse
6. appends B.S.N./R.N. (Bachelor of Science in
Nursing/Registered Nurse) or any similar
appendage to his name without having been
conferred said degree or registration
7. As a registered and licensed nurse, abets or
assists the illegal practice of a person who is not
lawfully qualified to practice nursing
• Any person or the chief executive officer of a judicial
entity who undertakes in-service educational programs or
who conducts review classes for both local and foreign
examination without permit/clearance from the Board
and the Commission
• A person or employer of nurses who violates the
minimum base pay of nurses and the incentives and
benefits that should be accorded them as specified in
Sections 32 and 34
• A person or the chief executive officer of a juridical entity
violating any provision of this Act and its rules and
regulations.
Article IX – Final Provisions
Section 36 – Enforcement of this Act
It is the primary duty of Professional Regulation Commission
and the Board of Nursing to implement this Act. assistance
shall be given by agencies upon the request of the
Commission or the Board.
Section 37 – Appropriations
The Chairperson of the Professional Regulation Commission
shall immediately include in its program and issue such rules
and regulations to implement the provisions of this Act, the
funding of which shall be included in the Annual General
Appropriations Act.
Section 38 – Rules and Regulations
Within ninety (90) days after the effectivity of this Act, the
Board and the Commission, in coordination with the
accredited professional organization, the Department of
Health, the Department of Budget and Management and other
concerned government agencies, shall formulate such rules
and regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of this
Act. The implementing rules and regulations shall be
published in the Official Gazette or in any newspaper of
general circulation.
Section 39 – Reparability Clause
If any part of this Act is declared unconstitutional, the
remaining parts not affected thereby shall continue to be valid
and operational.
Section 40 – Repealing Clause
Republic Act No. 7164, otherwise known as the “Philippine
Nursing Act of 1991″ is hereby repealed. All other laws,
decrees, orders, circulars, issuances, rules and regulations
and parts thereof which are inconsistent with this Act are
hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.
Section 41 – Effectivity
This act shall take effect fifteen (15) days upon its publication
in the Official Gazette or in any two (2) newspapers of
general circulation in the Philippines.
Source:
Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines
(www.officialgazette.gov.ph)