Hon. E.R. Wright, Superintendent 

State Sohool for the Deaf 

Travis County 

Austin, Texas 

oear Ear: Opinion No. O-25@ 

Rer Whether a person who received a oouree 

of nursing training at the State Hoepita1 %t Sai?ltorlm Is a graduate nurse 

zri;in the xneanlng of the ap~oprfdt%on 

. 

We have your letter of July 22, 1940, which reado as 

followet 

"Xn the appropr?Btion bill for sleemoqynary 

In<ut%ons, the bill pra.@dee ior two graduate 

nursee. The law iurther n&m fea?th provlslon ior a 

state Boaru of mursee Hlralmw There is a group of 

hospitnls wh%oh me aStilistci%th thla Boata fey the 

purpare of tmln3.n g numm .'Eha State Eloapital at 

Senltorlm 115 net affllktcrb with this arganlxatlon 

but plwpoeea to train nuraezi. 

~"Couldap%rtgwhohae qualffledbygr?kduating front IAL6 hoapital at Sanltorlum, Texosl be consldszud a~ gra8uate nurse as the tern is applied In the 

appropriation bill?" 

We believe that the phrase "graduate nurse as used In ths 

appropriation b%ll for Eleemoeynasy Inatitutlone" was used in the a8me 

sense as In Article 4518 and 4518a of the Revlaed'Civil Statutea of 

Texas which read ae follonsz 

"Art. 4518. QWLlZ'ICATIONS OF tRiRSE3' TRAIEES@ 

SCHOOLS AND ARPLfcAmTs 

All special htmpltals approved by~the BfMrd of 

Nurse Nxant~ers, andgeneral ho pitale, 

with not lesa than twenty-five 9 Q$i) 

whfch are equipped 

beds, amI whioh have 

a Ually annual average of not less thtLO fLfteen (15) patlentr, 

and which tetiah the oouree of study presarlbed by the Board 

of Nuree ExBrainerii of the State of Texas, aYe hereby~ cqnstituted duly qualified and acmedlted nursing schools. A 

general hospital, aa the term Is hers uaed, Is a public or 

private 1nstltutLon where men, women and children are 
Hois. B.R. l!Mght, Pegs 2 O-2564 

treated for all klnds of diseases, bodily in,jurjr, or 

physloal deramlty by means OS both medloal and su.rg$caf 

treatment, and which maintains an organized staff of 

phyalaiuns and surgeons llaenaed to praotice medlofne fn 

the etate oi Texas. 

4Art. 45laEi. CEFtTIWGATION OF QRADUATgS; EXIWIt?ATIONl3XSTATEBOARVOFt4UFtSE6X.AMINHRS 

No person shall be eertii'led as a graduate of 

an such nursing sc,hool unless such person &as had t&ee 

(331 full years of w-k and study in such school under a 

ra&istereU nurse, two (2) year8 of whfah murrt be eontlnuous In the s&o01 of' nursing from which bhe has graduated, 

or two (2) conMnuous~years in a spcclal hospital and one 

(1) oontlnuaus til.Z year in a general hospital. And maoh 

graduate upon praurnting such cei?ttifiuate to the State 

mardo?NurBC~ shall upon the papkent or required f'ees be entitlwl to take the examlnatlons presurlbed 

by the State Boardi 8nd u$on making the passing grades 

prescribed by the Board, shall be entitled to reoaive 

from aald Phard a certtiloate certifying that auah person 

le a graduate nurse end entitled to practlae as a reglstersad ~m.rse in the State or Texs8." 

These Statutes ti conatrud in our oplnMn8 No. O-882 and 

Supplemental opinibn Boo, o-88211, copies 0r which are anelosed herew%th, 

requlra that a perron must have at least one year*8 training ln a gemal 

hospltal in ordee to be entitled Co be aertiried as a rtkglatered graduate 

nuraea 

Xou state that the Wite Hospital at ganltoritmr is not 

affiliated with tha &ate Board of Rarse l?xamlners. A person receiving 

his entire t&Wnl.ng at th%s hospital la therefore not ellglble to be 

Crertirled as a registered graduate nurse under Artlclete 4528 and 451aa, 

Revlsetl Civil hitatutes, 192fi. 

It is OUT opinion, tiherefore, that a party who has graduate

from a course in tiurslngiven at the State Hospital at Sanltorlum Texas

may not be conaidored GB a graduate nurse as that term is used in the 

eppropriatfon bill. 

Youre very truly 

ATTORlUiX QSNHRitL OF !lXXAS 

APPROV6U AU(f 9, 1940 

s/ Erover Seller6 

FgzSlPASSIS?%Nl! 

ATTOHNXY WNICRAL