Vocational nursing: interim permits.

Existing law, the Vocational Nursing Practice Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of the practice of licensed vocational nursing by the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians. Existing law requires an applicant for a vocational nurse license to have successfully completed specified courses of studies from a school accredited by the board, and provides for the issuance of a license upon successful completion of a written examination, among other criteria. Existing law provides that if the application for licensure by examination is received by the board no later than 4 months after completion of a board-approved nursing program and approval of the application, the board may issue an interim permit authorizing the applicant to practice vocational nursing pending the results of the first licensing examination, or for a period of 9 months, whichever occurs first. This bill would authorize an applicant to submit an application for an interim permit at the same time as the applicant submits his or her application for licensure by examination, and would require the board to make a decision whether to issue the interim permit, and, if the board decides to issue the interim permit, to issue the interim permit to the applicant within 60 days of receiving the completed application.