Texas Board of Nurse Examiners:

An Inventory of Records at the Texas State Archives, 1909-2001

Agency History

In 1909 the legislature created the Texas Board of Nurse Examiners (a.k.a. Board of Nurse Examiners for the State of Texas), to ensure the competent practice of nursing in Texas (Senate Bill 111, 31st Legislature, Regular Session, 1909). The board is responsible for licensing, regulating, and monitoring the status of more than 158,000 registered nurses (RNs) currently licensed in Texas, and for accrediting 81 schools of professional nursing.

The board is composed of nine members (originally five members, increased to six in 1931, and to nine in 1981), appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate for overlapping six-year terms (increased from two years in 1929). Six of the members must be registered nurses, and (beginning in 1981) three of these must be nurse faculty members (each representing a school of nursing offering a bachelor's degree, an associate degree, and a diploma program). The remaining three board members represent the general public (beginning in 1981). The members selected their own president until 1993, after which date the governor named the president.

The regulation of the practice of professional nursing and nursing education involves prescribing the minimum requirements and standards for preparatory study programs for nurse practitioners, accrediting schools of nursing and education programs that meet its requirements, and establishing rules for professional conduct. The board may recognize, prepare, or implement continuing education programs, and require participation in these programs as a condition of license renewal. The board issues licenses by examination, and also by endorsement from licensing authorities in other states. It disciplines registered nurses who violate the Nursing Practice Act. Use of the title Registered Nurse (or RN) is limited to those licensed by the board. Re-registration occurs every two years. Over 158,000 persons were licensed to practice professional nursing in Texas as of August 31, 1997.

In 1923, legislation added regulation of nursing education to the board's duties, and created the position of Educational Secretary (to be appointed by the board). And in 1981, the board was instructed and authorized to prescribe three programs of study to prepare professional nurse practitioners: the Baccalaureate Program, the Associate Degree Program, and the Diploma Program.

From 1909 to 1923, the board had the power to revoke any certificate for "gross incompetency, dishonesty, habitual intemperance, or any act derogatory to the morals or standing of the profession of nursing." Between 1923 and 1967, a certificate could be revoked only by a county court after a complaint had been filed by unanimous action of the board; appeal of this decision would then be to a district court, whose judgment would be final. Beginning in 1967 again, however, the board was granted a broad range of disciplinary powers, including: refusal to admit persons to its examinations, refusal to issue a license or certificate of registration or re-registration, refusal to issue temporary permits, issuance of warnings or reprimands, temporary suspension of licenses, and revocation of licenses. The board may exercise these sanctions for a variety of reasons, including: violations of nursing laws, regulations, or orders; fraud; felony convictions or moral turpitude; revocation, suspension, or denial of a nursing license in another jurisdiction; alcohol or drug abuse; unprofessional or dishonorable conduct; mental incompetence; and lack of fitness to practice. Appeal may still be made in district courts.

In March 1994, the agency contained three departments: Licensing, Practice and Compliance, and Education and Examination. However, a reorganization fully implemented in 1995 resulted in five divisions: Licensing/Human Resources, Nursing Education/Examination, Nursing Practice, Investigations/Legal, and Finance/Administrative Services. The agency staff consists of approximately 52 full-time equivalent employees.

Attached to the board were three Advisory Committees (as of FY 1994): the Nursing Practice Advisory Committee (15 members); the Advanced Nurse Practitioner Advisory Committee (16 members); and the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Texas Department of Health and Board of Nurse Examiners Advisory Committee (12 members). These committees have subsequently been disbanded.

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Scope and Contents of the Records

These records consist of meeting minutes, policies and procedures manuals, lists of professional schools of nursing/nursing programs, and a final research report. They comprise records of the Texas Board of Nurse Examiners (a.k.a. Board of Nurse Examiners for the State of Texas), dating 1909-2001.

The minutes and attachments, which include narrative reports, monthly financial statements, position statements, cumulative statistical reports, comparative surveys, and significant correspondence, comprise the meeting minutes of the Texas Board of Nurse Examiners, dating 1909-2001, including regular meetings, annual and semi-annual meetings, special meetings, planning sessions, retreats, and committee meetings. These minutes contain summaries of board discussions and actions, and reports of board officers and committees, plus attachments. The minutes cover the full range of board responsibilities, in varying formats over time. Minutes of committees, 1989-1996, include those for the following committees: Finance, Education, Legislative/Public Relations, Practice, Planning and Performance, Operations, Eligibility and Disciplinary, and Strategic Planning.

The policies and procedures manual, with periodic updates, dating 1995-1999, addresses the education, licensure, practice, investigation, and administration functions of the Texas Board of Nurse Examiners. The manual explains in detail the actual procedures used to accomplish the agency's various tasks (e.g., how to process an application).

The annual lists of professional schools of nursing/nursing programs accredited by the Texas Board of Nurse Examiners date 1970-2000. The various types of programs are grouped separately in each list: diploma programs, associate degree programs, baccalaureate degree programs, and (beginning in 1988) master's degree programs. Beginning in 1978, lists of specialty programs accredited by the Board are also included. Information given includes the name of the program/school, including extension sites and extended campuses (now called Distance Education Initiatives); address; telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address; and name of director. Also indicated by codes is the state accreditation status: full accreditation, initial accreditation, conditional accreditation, and warning status.

The one final research report (172-pages) is titled An Evaluation of Quality Assurance Provisions for Nursing Practice in Texas: Mandatory Reporting, Peer Review, and Rules for Delegation of Nursing Care Activities to Unlicensed Personnel, dated 1989.

These records have been appraised and processed.

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Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

None.

Restrictions on Use

None.

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Related Material

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

(Identify the item and cite the series), Records, Texas Board of Nurse Examiners. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Accession Information

Accession numbers: 1996/121, 1997/034, 1998/255, 1999/159, 2000/148, 2000/149, 2001/012

These records were transferred to the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by the Texas Board of Nurse Examiners on October 31, 1996; August 10, 1998; May 27, 1999; May 2, 2000; and September 28, 2000.

Processing Information

Tony Black, September 1997

[The original finding aid included pending accessions, some of which were eventually transferred to the State Archives. Only actual holdings are included in the revision completed January 2002.]

Tony Black, June 1998, May 2000, November 2001

Accruals

Minutes are usually transferred to the State Archives on an annual basis.

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Detailed Description of the Records

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