THE LICENSING BOARD

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 POWER TO REGULATE THE PROFESSION

▪ The power to regulate the established professions in the Philippines and to

examine the applicants to practice same is vested upon the Professional
Regulation Commission (PRC) as created by Presidential Decree 223.
▪ PRC is now an agency of its own.
▪ PD 223 has been repealed by RA 8981 – “The PRC Modernization Act of
2000.”
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 ORGANIZATION AND COMPOSITION
Composition of the Board. The board created under section 3, Article III of the said Nursing Act shall be composed of a Chair
person and six (6) members, representing the three (3) areas of nursing, namely:
⮚ Nursing education

⮚ Nursing service

⮚ Community health nursing

▪ Members of the Board of Nursing may be appointed by:

1) Regular appointment – The PNA appoint the PRC, 12 candidates who possess the required qualifications. They are ranked
accordingly.

2) Ad Interim appointment – A board member is appointed in the meantime to fill in the vacancy or perform the duties of an office
during the absence of regular incumbent. There is no definite term of appointment.

3) Doctrine of Hold-Over – In this instance, a member of the Nursing Board is permitted to continue to exercise the functions of the
office after the end of his/her lawful term until replaced.
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Appointment. The chairperson and six members shall be appointed by the President of the Republic of the Philippines upon the
recommendation of the Commission.
▪ Provided, that all those will be recommended by the Commission to the President for appointment shall be duly licensed/registered nurses.
For this purpose, the following shall strictly be observed/complied with:
⮚ The Commission shall, before the last year of the term of office of any member to submit to the Commission at least three (3) qualified
nominees per vacancy.
⮚ The accredited professional organization of nurses shall receipt of the Commission’s request screen and rank qualified nurses only for the
purpose and submit three (3) nominees, per vacancy, to the Commission not later than three months before the vacancy occurs.
⮚ The Commission, shall rank said nominees and submit to the President of the Philippines two (2) nominees, per vacancy, not later than two
(2) months before the vacancy occurs, with the request that the appointment be issued not later than thirty (30) days before the scheduled
licensure examination.
⮚ Reappointment shall be subject to the provisions of E.O. No. 496.

⮚ The necessary operating procedures to ensure strict compliance shall be embodied in a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) by the
Commission.

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 QUALIFICATIONS OF MEMBERS TO THE NURSING BOARD

Qualifications of the Chairperson and Members.

⮚ a natural born citizen and resident of the Philippines;
⮚ a member of good standing of the accredited professional organization of nurses;

⮚ a registered nurse and holder of a master’s degree in nursing, education or other allied medical profession
conferred by a college or university.
⮚ must have at least ten (10) years of continuous practice of the profession prior to the appointment, the last five
(5) years of which must be in the Philippines.
⮚ must not have been convicted of any offense involving moral turpitude.

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 Requirements Upon Qualification as Chairperson and Member of the Board
⮚ immediately resign from any teaching position in any school.
⮚ immediately resign from any office or employment in the private sector
and/in the government or any subdivision.
⮚ not have any pecuniary interest in, or administrative supervision over any
institution offering Bachelor of Science in Nursing including review classes.

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TERM OF OFFICE
▫ The Chairperson and Members shall hold office for a period of three (3)
years until their successors shall have been appointed and qualified,
provided that:
❖ no Chairperson and Member shall be appointed and/or reappointed for more than two
(2) terms or a period of six (6) years;
❖ appointment to a vacancy that occurs before the expiration of the term of office of the
Chairperson/Member shall cover only the unexpired portion of the term of the immediate
predecessor; and
❖ the Chairperson and Member shall take the proper oath of office prior to the
performance of his/her duties.
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 Compensation of Board Members

The Chairperson and Members of the Board shall receive

compensation and allowances comparable to the compensation and
allowances received by the Chairperson and Members of other
professional regulatory boards. They are paid based on the principle
of quantum merit which means “as much as they deserve”.

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 REMOVAL OR SUSPENSION OF BOARD
MEMBERS
Removal or Suspension of Board Members. The president may remove or suspend any
member of the Board after having been given the opportunity to defend himself/herself in a
proper administrative investigation, on the following grounds:

 continued neglect of duty or incompetence;

 commission or toleration of irregularities in the licensure examination; and
 unprofessional, immoral, or dishonorable conduct.

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 POWERS, FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF VARIOUS BOARDS (AS PER RA 8981- THE
MODERNIZATION ACT OF 2000)
The various professional regulatory boards shall retain the following functions and responsibilities:

 To regulate the practice of the professions in accordance with the provisions of their respective professional
regulatory laws;
 To monitor the conditions affecting the practice of the profession or occupation under their respective
jurisdictions and whenever necessary, adopt such measures as may be deemed proper for the
enhancement of the profession/ occupation and/ or the maintenance of high professional, ethical, and
technical standards and for this purpose the members of the Board duly Commission, may conduct ocular
inspections in industrial, mechanical, electrical or chemical plants or establishments, hospitals, clinics,
laboratories, testing facilities, and in the case of schools, in coordination with the Commission on Higher
Education (CHED);

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 To hear and investigate case arising from violations of their respective laws, the rules and regulations
promulgated thereunder and their Codes of Ethics and, for this purpose may issue summons, subpoena
and subpoena duces tecum to alleged violators and/ or witnesses to compel their attendance in such
investigations or hearings: Provided, That, the decision of the Professional Regulatory Board shall,
unless appealed to the Commission, become final and statutory after 15 days from receipt of notice of
judgment or decision;

 To delegate the hearing or investigation of administrative cases filed before them except in cases where
the issue or question involved strictly concerns the practice of the profession or occupation, in which
case, the hearing shall be prescribed over by at least 1 member of the Board concerned assisted by a
Legal or Hearing Officer of the Commission;

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 To conduct, through the Legal Officers of the Commission, summary proceedings on minor violations of
their respective regulatory laws, violations of the rules and regulations issued by the boards to implement
their respective laws, including violations of the general instructions to examinees committed by the
examines and render summary judgment thereon which shall, unless appealed to the Commission,
become final and executory after fifteen (150 days from receipt of notice or judgment or decision;

 Subject to final approval by the Commission, to recommend registration without examination and the
issuance of corresponding certificate of registration and professional identification card;

 After due process, to suspend, revoke or reinstate certificate of registration or license provided by law;

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 To prepare, adopt and issue the syllabi or tables of specification of the subjects for examination in
consultation with the academe: determine and prepare the questions for the licensure examination
which shall strictly be within the scope of the syllabus or table of specifications of the subject for
examination, score and rate the examination papers with the name and signature of the Board
Member concerned appearing thereto, and submit the results in all subjects duly signed by all
members of the Board to the Commission within 10 days from the last day of the examination
unless extended by the Commission, determine the appropriate passing general rating in an
examination if not provided for in the law regulating the profession; and
 To prepare an annual report of the accomplishments on programs, projects and activities of the
Board during the year for submission to the Commission after the close of each calendar year and
make appropriate recommendations on issues or problems affecting the profession to the
Commission.

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 Administrative Supervision of the Board, Custodian of its Records,
Secretariat and Support Services

 The Board shall be under the administrative supervision of the Commission. All records
of the Board, including applications for examinations, administrative and other
investigative cases conducted by the Board shall be under the custody of the
Commission.

 The Commission shall designated the Secretary of the Board and shall provide the
secretariat and other support services to implement the provisions of this Act.

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 Powers and Duties of the Board
Powers, Duties Functions and Responsibilities of the board of Nursing. The Board shall supervise and regulate the
practice of the nursing profession in the Philippines. As such, pursuant to the provisions of R.A No. 9173 and R.A No.
8981, otherwise known as “PRC Modernization Act of 2000” the Board shall have the following specific powers, functions,
duties and responsibilities:

 Conduct the licensure examination for nurses;

 Issue, suspend or revoke certificates of registration for the practice of nursing;
 Monitor and enforce quality standards of nursing practice in the Philippines and exercise the powers necessary to
ensure the maintenance of efficient, ethical and technical moral and professional standards in the practice of
nursing taking into account the health needs of the nation;

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 Ensure quality nursing education by examining the prescribed facilities of universities or colleges of
nursing or departments of nursing education and those seeking permission to open nursing courses
to ensure that standards of nursing education are properly complied with and maintained at all times.
The authority to open and close colleges of nursing and/or nursing education programs shall be
vested on the Commission on Higher Education upon written recommendation of the Board
 Conduct hearings and investigations to resolve complaints against nurse practitioners for unethical
and unprofessional conduct and violation of this Act, or its rules and regulations. In connection
therewith, the Board, upon application with the court, is empowered to:

 Issue subpoena and testificandum and subpoena duces tecum to secure the appearance of
respondents and witnesses and the production of documents, and
 Punish with contempt persons obstructing, impeding and/or otherwise interfering with the
conduct of such proceedings;

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 Adopt and promulgate a Code of Ethics and a Code of Technical Standards for the
practice of nursing in coordination and consultation with the accredited professional
organization of nurses within one (1) year from the effectively of the subject Nursing Act;
 Recognize nursing specialty organizations in coordination with the accredited
professional organization. The recognition of nursing specialty organizations shall be
based on the criteria jointly developed by the Board of Nursing and the Accredited
Professional Organization;
 Subject to review and approval of the commission, prescribe, adopt, issue and
promulgate guidelines, regulations, measures and decisions as may be necessary for the
improvement of nursing practice, advancement of the profession and for the proper and
full enforcement of the provisions of the “Philippine nursing act of 2002”;

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 Submit an annual report to the commission at the close of its calendar year giving
detailed account of its proceedings and the accomplishments during the year and making
recommendations for the adoption of measures that will upgrade and improve the
conditions affecting the practice of the nursing profession

 In coordination with the accredited professional organization and appropriate government

and private agencies, initiate, undertake and conduct studies on health, human research
production and utilization and development.

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Thank you and God bless!

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