SECTIONS 128425-128450 - California Statutes

HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE

SECTION 128425-128450

128425. The Legislature hereby finds and declares that more and
better qualified medical care is needed for residents of health care
facilities. The Legislature further finds that the shortage of
physicians available to work in skilled nursing facilities and other
facilities providing care primarily to geriatric patients is expected
to continue.
Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature to promote more and
better-qualified medical care for geriatric patients by increasing
training opportunities for geriatric nurse practitioners and
geriatric clinical nurse specialists and by providing an incentive
for nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists to practice in
skilled nursing facilities or other facilities providing care
primarily to geriatric patients. It is not the intent of the
Legislature in enacting this article to change the existing scope of
practice of nurse practitioners or clinical nurse specialists.

128430. For purposes of this article:
(a) A "geriatric clinical nurse specialist" is a registered nurse,
licensed by the Board of Registered Nursing, who has completed a
master's program in nursing with an emphasis on care of elders.
(b) A "geriatric nurse practitioner" is a registered nurse,
licensed by the Board of Registered Nursing as a nurse practitioner,
who has completed an educational program in gerontological nursing,
or family or adult nursing with an emphasis on care of elders.

128435. (a) There is hereby created the Geriatric Nurse
Practitioner and Clinical Nurse Specialist Scholarship Program within
the Health Professions Education Foundation. Persons participating
in this program shall be persons enrolled in nurse practitioner or
clinical nurse specialist programs in this state who agree in writing
prior to graduation to practice for a period of time, to be
determined in accordance with paragraph (1) of subdivision (b), as
geriatric nurse practitioners or geriatric clinical nurse specialists
either in skilled nursing facilities licensed pursuant to Section
1250 or in other settings where care is provided primarily to
geriatric patients. This program shall be administered in accordance
with Article 1 (commencing with Section 128330), and Article 2
(commencing with Section 128375), except that all funds shall be used
only for geriatric nurse practitioners and geriatric clinical nurse
specialists and except that the programs shall be available only to
those geriatric nurse practitioners and geriatric clinical nurse
specialists who agree to practice in skilled nursing facilities or
other settings caring for geriatric patients.
(b) The Health Professions Education Foundation shall make
recommendations to the director of the office concerning both of the
following:
(1) A standard contractual agreement to be signed by the director
and any student who has received an award to practice in a skilled
nursing facility or other setting caring for geriatric patients that
would require a period of obligated professional service. The
obligated professional service shall be in direct patient care. The
obligated professional service may be performed by a geriatric nurse
practitioner or geriatric clinical nurse specialist either as an
employee or independent contractor of a skilled nursing facility or
other setting caring for geriatric patients, or as an employee or
independent contractor of a physician providing care for geriatric
patients in a skilled nursing facility or other setting. The
agreement shall include a clause entitling the state to recover the
funds awarded plus the maximum allowable interest for failure to
begin or complete the service obligation.
(2) Maximum allowable amounts for scholarships and other financial
assistance in order to assure the most effective use of these funds.
(c) To the extent feasible and appropriate, the Health Professions
Education Foundation shall assure that the standard contractual
agreement and other aspects of the Geriatric Nurse Practitioner and
Clinical Nurse Specialist Scholarship Program are substantially
similar to those developed for the Registered Nurse Education
Program.

128440. Awards shall be coordinated with other financial
assistance. An effort shall be made to reach all nurse practitioner
and clinical nurse specialist education programs in California.

128445. In developing this program, the Health Professions
Education Foundation shall solicit the advice of the representatives
of the Board of Registered Nursing, the Student Aid Commission, the
California Nurses Association, the California Association of Health
Facilities, the California Association of Homes for the Aging, the
Chancellor of the California State University, the President of the
University of California, and other entities as may be appropriate.

128450. This program shall be funded through the Health Professions
Education Fund pursuant to Section 128355.