326-B:3 Board of Nursing. –
I. The board of nursing shall comprise 13 members to be appointed by the governor with the consent of the council. Any interested individual, association, or entity may make recommendations to the governor. The members of the board shall include 6 registered nurses, 2 of whom shall be advanced practice registered nurses, 2 licensed practical nurses, 3 licensed nursing assistants, one of whom shall be a medication licensed nursing assistant if possible, and 2 representative members of the public. The terms of members shall be staggered as determined by the governor and council. All terms shall be for 3 years, and no member of the board shall be appointed to more than 3 consecutive terms.
II. Each RN member shall be a resident of this state, licensed in good standing under the provisions of this chapter, and currently engaged in the practice of nursing as an RN and shall have no fewer than 5 years of experience as an RN, at least 3 of which shall have immediately preceded appointment. RN members of the board shall represent the various areas of nursing practice including education, administration, and clinical practice.
III. The LPN members of the board shall be residents of this state, licensed in good standing under the provisions of this chapter, and currently engaged in the practice of nursing and shall have had no fewer than 5 years of experience as an LPN, at least 3 of which shall have immediately preceded the date of appointment.
IV. The LNA members of the board shall be residents of this state, licensed in good standing under the provisions of this chapter, and currently engaged in nursing-related activities. These members shall have a minimum of 5 years of experience as an LNA, at least 3 of which shall have immediately preceded the date of their appointment.
V. The public members shall be residents of the state of New Hampshire who are not, and never have been, members of the nursing profession or the spouse of any such person. The public members shall not have, and shall never have had, a material financial interest in either the provision of nursing services or an activity directly related to nursing, including the representation of the board or its predecessor or the profession for a fee at any time during the 5 years preceding the date of appointment.
VI. No more than 2 board members shall be associated with a particular agency, corporation, or other enterprise or subsidiary at one time.
VII. [Repealed.]
VIII. An appointee to a full term on the board shall be appointed by the governor with the consent of the council before the expiration of the term of the member being succeeded and shall become a member of the board on the first day following the appointment expiration date of the previous appointee. Appointees to unexpired portions of full terms shall become members of the board on the day following such appointment, and shall serve the unexpired term and then be eligible to serve 3 full 3-year terms.
IX. The governor may remove any member from the board for neglect of any duty under RSA 326-B:4 or for incompetence or unprofessional or dishonorable conduct. Any person may file a complaint against a board member with the office of professional licensure and certification. The provisions of RSA 4:1 controlling the removal of public officials from office shall be followed in dismissing board members.
X. All members of the board and its agents or employees shall enjoy immunity from individual civil liability while acting within the scope of their duties as board members, agents, or employees, as long as they are not acting in a wanton or reckless manner.
XI. Board meetings shall be open to the public. In accordance with RSA 91-A:3, the board may conduct part of a meeting in nonpublic session.
Source. 2005, 293:1. 2009, 54:5. 2015, 276:69, eff. July 1, 2015. 2019, 346:249, eff. July 1, 2019. 2021, 197:95, eff. July 1, 2021. 2023, 235:3, eff. July 15, 2023.