What Is the Florida State Board of Nursing?

The Florida Board of Nursing is the governing and regulating body for nursing practice in the state of Florida. Through licensing requirements, law enforcement and disciplinary actions, the panel tries to ensure the consistent safety and quality of nursing services state-wide.

Governing Rules and Laws

• Florida Administrative Code 64B9 is the 17-chapter series of rules pertaining to the Florida Board of Nursing. Chapter 464 of the Florida state statutes covers nursing practice and certified nursing assistant practice.

Board Members and Administration

• The Florida Board of Nursing includes 13 members who reside in the state of Florida. The group consists of at least one member age 60 or older, three consumer board members who have never been connected to the nursing field, three LPNs with at least four years of professional experience and seven RNs with a minimum of four years licensed work history. Among the seven registered nurses must be at least one advanced registered nurse practitioner, teaching nurse in a board-approved nursing program and nurse executive. There is an additional four-person staff that handles the day-to-day operations of the board from the office located in Tallahassee. The staff consists of an executive director, a board-certified advanced practice registered nurse (APRN-BC) and two program operations administrators.

Board Meetings

• A series of three-day meetings are held every other month with closing remarks made by the chair and vice chairpersons of the board. The location is alternated between hotel conference centers in Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Orlando, Miami, Tampa and Florida State University in Tallahassee. Past meeting minutes with audio files and a public agenda of meeting topics are available on the board's website.

Division of Medical Quality Assurance

• The Florida Board of Nursing is part of a collective of the state's medical boards, councils and committees that make up the Division of Medical Quality Assurance (MQA). The group aims to ensure the quality of health care in the state. Activities of the group include managing the licensure activities in their disciplines and investigating and analyzing reports regarding disciplinary issues, complaints and unlicensed practice. If you have a nurse-related complaint, this is the branch of the State Board of Nursing that can assist you.

  Division of Medical Quality Assurance
  Department of Health
  4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin #C00
  Tallahassee, FL 32399-3250
  850-488-0595
  [email protected]

Programs

• The board participated in the 1984 creation of the Intervention Project for Nurses (IPN). Through the program, nurses who have a mental or physical condition or an issue with alcohol abuse that impairs their work will be closely monitored. Additionally, nurses will participate in an advocacy program that ensures patient safety while helping the affected nurse overcome and manage her illness.

  Intervention Project for Nurses
  P.O. Box 49130
  Jacksonville Beach, FL 32240
  904-270-1620
  800-840-2720 toll-free