Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.,  
HON. MIGUEL LUIS R. VILLAFUERTE, HON. TSUYOSHI ANTHONY G. 
HORIBATA AND HON. NICOLAS ENCISO VIII 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Filipino nurses going abroad has been such a common occurrence. In the US for 
example, Filipino nurses have become practically an integral part of the American 
health system that they have started their own national organization, the Philippine 
Nurses Association of America. The migration of the nurses has such a positive 
economic effect in the Philippines. Nurses going abroad can earn as much as 20 times 
what they were making back home.  
The skills and qualities of our nurses can be further developed beyond grooming them 
to be sent abroad. This can be done by improving our nursing education to give room 
for advanced programs. Advanced nursing education programs have the capacity to 
further catapult our nurses to realize greater opportunities through the opening up of 
leadership roles. By doing so, we can elevate our status further to be recognized as a 
producer of leaders, experts, and authorities in the field of nursing.  
In this proposal, the basic program for nursing education should include community 
integration and immersion to encourage more graduates to work in a community 
setting. Admission to the basic program for nursing education shall require passing a 
National Nursing Admission Test (NNAT). The curriculum and the related learning 
experiences must be in accordance with the national nursing core competency 
standards to promulgated by the board and implemented through the policies, 
July 4, 2022
2:25 pm
1094


2
standards, and guidelines of the CHED. 
There shall also be a graduate program for nursing education which shall be a post 
baccalaureate nursing program, which builds on the experiences and skills of a nurse 
towards to mastery, expertise, and leadership in practice, research, and education.  
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is hereby earnestly sought. 
LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
 MIGUEL LUIS R. VILLAFUERTE 
TSUYOSHI ANTHONY G. HORIBATA 
NICOLAS ENCISO VIII 


3
Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.,  
HON. MIGUEL LUIS R. VILLAFUERTE, HON. TSUYOSHI ANTHONY G. 
HORIBATA AND HON. NICOLAS ENCISO VIII 
AN ACT  
AMENDING CERTAIN SECTIONS OF REPUBLIC ACT 9173 OTHERWISE KNOWN AS 
THE PHILIPPINE NURSING ACT OF 2002, PROVIDING FOR AN ADVANCED NURSING 
EDUCATION PROGRAM 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
ARTICLE I 
GENERAL PROVISIONS 
SEC.1. Title. This Act shall be known as the "New Philippine Nursing Practice 
Act”. 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. In pursuit of the constitutional precept that 
Health is a right of every Filipino, it is hereby declared the policy of the State to uphold 
the welfare of healthcare workers as an important objective towards achieving the 
goals of universal health care in the country. It is likewise declared as the policy of the 
State to uphold the dignity of nurses, to accord them the respect befitting the service 
they render to the nation, and to improve the practice of the nursing profession by 
instituting measures to ensure their professional growth, promote comprehensive and 
relevant nursing practice standards, and provide  just and humane working conditions 
in every health facility, institution, or establishment in order to ensure their well-being 
1094


4
and the health and safety of the public.. Nurses comprise a great majority of the 
healthcare workers both in the institutional and community levels. Thus, the State 
recognizes nurses as prime movers of national development and contributors to 
international cooperation and understanding. 
The State furthermore, recognizes the necessity of implementing an adequate 
and comprehensive Nursing Human Resource for Health Management System 
(NHRHMS) throughout the country in order to adequately deliver accessible, 
affordable, and quality health care. 
SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. As used in this Act: 
a)
Accredited Professional Organization (APO) refers to the national
professional organization of nurses duly accredited by the Professional Regulation 
Commission (PRC);  
b) Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) refers to the baccalaureate program
that provides sound and liberal education that equips graduates with competencies 
for registration as a professional and is the sole required academic standard for entry 
into nursing practice in the Philippines, in accordance with the appropriate qualification 
framework. The BSN program is effectively promulgated under Memorandum Order 
No. 15, series of 2017, on the Policies, Standards and Guidelines for the Bachelor of 
Science in Nursing (BSN) Program prescribed and issued by the Commission on 
Higher Education (CHED); 
c) Career Progression and Specialization Council for Nursing (CPSCN) refers
to the body deputized by the Professional Regulation Commission to develop 
standards of practice for each nursing-level standards, establish mechanisms and 
criteria for credentialing of specialty organizations and interest groups, certification of 
individuals at different levels of Post Baccalaureate nursing and advanced practice, 
for recommendation to the Board; 
d) Career Progression and Specialization Program for Nurses (CPSPN) refers
to the Program recognized by the PRC and the Board involving the progressive 
transfer of knowledge and skill for the various levels of the nursing, practice the system 
of credentialing specialty organizations and interest groups, and the certification of 
individuals at different levels of practice; 


 
5
e) Certification refers to the process of validating achievements through a 
variety of measures and assessment strategies to confirm or attest to the competency 
of an Advance Practice Nurse (APN) upon completion of a specialty program or 
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) program, or both.  The certification is 
issued by the Board and the PRC upon the endorsement of the specified recognized 
and credentialed specialty organization in accordance with the PSG; 
f) Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) refers to the highest nursing administrative and 
clinical official in healthcare facilities. The CNO is responsible for leading and 
coordinating an organization's nursing services and its daily operation. The CNO is 
the primary spokesperson for nurses in the facility and must be a registered nurse; 
g) Clinical Practice refers to professional practice rendered in any healthcare 
setting whether in the private or public sector; 
h) Credentialing refers to the formal recognition of a specialty organization or 
interest group conferred by the PRC and the Board, upon the recommendation of the 
CPSPN, after complying with the policies, standards and guidelines issued by the 
Board; 
i) Decent Work refers to aspirations by people in their working lives. It involves 
opportunities for productive work that delivers a fair income, affords security in the 
workplace, social protection for families, better prospects for personal development, 
psychological well-being, opportunities for social integration, including the freedom for 
people to express their concerns and   organize and participate in decisions that affect 
their lives, and promotes equality of opportunity or treatment regardless of ethnicity, 
gender, position, or religion; 
j) Expanded Role refers to the broadening of the roles of an APN by virtue of 
the nurse's expertise and the scope of nursing practice. An APN has a recognized 
autonomous role within a specialized field of practice; 
k) Geographically-Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs) refer to 
barangays specifically disadvantaged due to the presence of both physical and 
socioeconomic factors; 
l) Healthcare Facility refers to a public or private institution, establishment or 
clinic devoted primarily to the provision of services that include the following: nursing, 
health promotion, prevention of illness, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and 
palliation of individuals suffering from illness, disease, injury or disability, or deformity, 


 
6
or in need of obstetrical, psychiatric or other medical and nursing care, and includes 
hospitals, barangay health centers, and other clinics; 
m) Individual-based Health Services refer to services which can be accessed  
remotely or within a health facility that focuses primarily on treating individuals; 
 
n) National Chief Nursing Officer (NCNO) refers to the highest-ranking nursing 
official of the Department of Health (DOH) whose main function is to promote safe 
nursing and quality standards and implement nursing policies for both the public and 
private sectors. The responsibility of the NCNO is to assist the government to achieve 
the health goals of the country through expert advice based on timely accurate local 
data and national and international evidence, and by promoting quality nursing 
standards in the nursing profession and the healthcare industry; 
 
o) Nurse refers to a person duly registered and licensed to practice the nursing  
profession, with all the rights and privileges appurtenant thereto; 
 
p) Nursing care refers to the physiological, psychological, spiritual, social and 
emotional care, essential health care, safety and comfort measures, and health 
teachings; execution of health care techniques and procedures and traditional and 
innovative approaches to individuals, families, population groups and communities, 
from conception to death; 
 
q) Nursing Human Resource for Health Management System (NHRHMS) 
refers to an organized human resource management and development information 
system based in the DOH and directed by the NCNO, that provides meaningful data 
used to support policies affecting nurses and nursing; 
 
r) Nursing practice refers to various stages of development towards the 
promotion of health, prevention of illness, health care techniques and procedures, 
restoration of health, alleviation of suffering, and end-of-life care. It encompasses the 
care of clients in various stages of human growth and development from conception, 
labor, delivery, infancy, childhood, toddler, pre-school, school age, adolescence, 
adulthood to old age, be it performed independently or collaboratively with other 
professions. 
 
s) Nursing Service refers to an office within a public or private healthcare 
institution, responsible for administrative and clinical supervision of nurses and 
nursing personnel, headed by a CNO; 
 
t) Patient Acuity refers to the intensity of care provided to a patient by a 
registered nurse, or the use of patient classification systems that can forecast patient 


 
7
care requirements for nursing care and are therefore vital in the management of 
nursing personnel; 
 
u) Philippine Professional Nursing Practice Standards (PPNPS) refers to the 
authoritative statements of the core competencies and duties that all registered 
nurses, regardless of role, designation, or specialty, are expected to perform. The 
PNPS promotes, guides, and directs professional practice; 
 
v) Philippine Professional Nursing Roadmap (PPNR) refers to a program 
towards good governance of the nursing profession, the goal of which is to develop 
and promote a culture of excellence and dynamic leadership in Philippine nursing. The 
PPNR is anchored on five initiatives: collaborative partnership, competency 
enhancement, linkages, social impact, embedding the core values and positive 
qualities of the Filipino nurse; 
 
w) Population-based Health Services refer to interventions such as health 
promotion, disease surveillance, and vector control, which have population groups as 
recipients; 
 
x) Positive practice environment refers to a practice setting that promotes 
economic welfare, professional autonomy, job satisfaction and retention of nurses by 
ensuring safe staffing, managerial support, professional development, occupational 
safety and psychological health and prevention of workplace violence to promote 
patient and nurse safety; 
 
y) Precarious work refers to working conditions which are contingent, atypical 
or non-standard.  It is usually characterized by characterized by uncertainty and 
instability in one’s employment status, such as when there is a threat of change or 
diminution in one’s rank or position, or when there is ambiguity in the employee-
employer relationship, lack of access to social protection benefits usually associated 
with employment, low pay and substantial legal and practical obstacles to joining a 
trade union in order to avail of the right to bargain collectively; 
 
z) Primary Care refers to initial-contact, continuous, comprehensive and 
coordinated, and culturally appropriate care that is accessible at the time of need, 
including a range of services for all presenting conditions, and the ability to coordinate 
referrals to other health care providers in the health care delivery system, when 
necessary; 
 
aa) Public Health Institution (PHI) refers to any government-led, owned, or 
controlled institution which pursues and realizes the lofty goals and objectives of 


 
8
providing and managing safe, efficient, effective,  and quality public health programs 
and services and advocacies for health in all levels of the national to local Health Care 
Delivery System (HCDS), which include rural health  units (RHUs) and barangay 
healthcare centers; research facilities such as the Research Institute for Tropical 
Medicine, and the like; training resource facilities such as the University of the 
Philippines College of Public Health and State or Local Colleges or Universities 
offering health-related programs; the DOH and all retained healthcare facilities, and 
the like; 
 
bb) Return Service Agreement refers to an agreement whereby graduates of 
the nursing course who are recipients of government-funded scholarship programs 
are required to serve in priority areas in the public sector, subject to the conditions 
prescribed by R.A. No. 11223, otherwise known as “The Universal Health Care Act”; 
 
cc) Special Temporary Permit (STP) refers to the authority to engage in  
limited nursing practice granted to foreign registered or licensed nurses and Filipino 
nursing graduates under the conditions set forth in this Act. 
 
ARTICLE Il 
BOARD OF NURSING 
 
SEC. 4. Creation and Composition of the Board. There shall be created, 
under the administrative supervision of the PRC, the Professional Regulatory Board 
of Nursing which shall be composed of seven (7) Members who shall elect from among 
themselves a Chairperson to serve for one (1) year only but may be re-elected as 
Chairperson on a year-to-year basis. The President of the Republic of the Philippines 
shall appoint the members of the Board from among those recommended and ranked 
from a list of at least three (3) nominees per vacancy as provided by the APO. 
Preferably, the membership of the Board shall be distributed to proportionately 
represent both nursing service and nursing academe, and that the members' areas of 
expertise cover all the areas of the licensure examination.  
 
 
SEC. 5. Mission of the Professional Regulatory Board of Nurses.  The 
mission of the Board is to protect and promote the welfare of the people of the 
Philippines by ensuring that each person holding a license as a nurse in the 
Philippines is competent to practice the nursing profession safely.  Pursuant thereto, 
the Board shall regulate the practice of nursing and in collaboration with the CHED, 


 
9
review and approve nursing education programs to be offered by authorized higher 
education institutions.   
 
 
The Board, acting in accordance with the highest standards of ethics, 
accountability, efficiency, effectiveness, and transparency, shall approach its mission 
with a deep sense of purpose and responsibility and affirms that the regulation of 
nursing is a public trust.  
 
 
SEC. 6. Qualifications of the Chairperson and Members of the Board. The 
Chairperson and Members must be natural-born citizens of the Philippines and have 
resided therein for at least five (5) consecutive years immediately preceding the date 
of their respective appointments. Furthermore, at the time of their appointment, they 
must possess the following:  
 
a) 
A valid and current certificate of registration and professional 
identification card;  
 
b) 
A Master's Degree in nursing, and preferably, with relevant Doctorate 
Degree conferred by a duly recognized HEI;  
 
c) 
At least ten (10) continuous years nursing practice prior to appointment: 
Provided: That the last five (5) years of such practice must have been served in the 
Philippines;  
 
d) 
Good moral character as evidenced for not having convicted of any 
offense involving moral turpitude; and  
 
e) 
Physical and mental fitness. 
 
 
SEC. 7. Prohibition as Members of the Board. The Members of the Board 
shall not, at the time of their appointments and during their incumbency, hold any 
position nor have pecuniary interest, direct or indirect, in any HEI offering BSN, or in 
any review or training center for the PNLE, training hospital or healthcare facility with 
nursing affiliates, and is not an officer of the APO.  
 
 
 
SEC. 8. Term of Office. The Members of the Board shall hold office for a term 
of three (3) years. Any Member of the Board may serve for a maximum of two (2) 
terms or a total of six (6) years, or until their successors shall have been appointed 
and qualified.  


 
10
 
 
SEC. 9. Vacancy. Any vacancy in the Board must be filled in the manner 
prescribed in this Act and only for the unexpired portion of the term. Each member of 
the Board shall take the proper oath of office prior to the performance of duties.  
 
 
SEC. 10. Compensation. The Members of the Board shall receive 
compensation and allowances comparable to those received by the Members of other 
regulatory boards under the PRC.  
 
 
SEC. 11. Limited Practice of the Profession. During their incumbency, the 
Members of the Board may be allowed to practice their profession or maintain 
employment or affiliation in the public or private sector subject to the conditions and 
limitations prescribed by law and upon proper and timely disclosure of possible or 
actual conflict of interest.  
 
 
SEC. 12. Administrative Supervision of the Board, Custodian of its 
Records, Secretariat and Support Services. The Board shall be under the 
administrative supervision of the PRC. All records of the Board, including applications 
for examinations, administrative and other investigative cases conducted by the Board 
must be under the custody of the PRC. The PRC shall designate the Secretary of the 
Board and shall provide the secretariat and other support services to implement the 
provisions of this Act.  
 
 
SEC. 13. Powers and Duties of the Board. The Board shall supervise and 
regulate the practice of the nursing profession and shall have the following powers, 
duties and functions:  
 
a) 
Ensure the proper conduct of the PNLE, including the evaluation of 
examination applications, test development, administration of the examination, and 
the correction and release of the results thereof. The use of appropriate technologies 
and modalities on the conduct of the PNLE is encouraged to enhance efficiency while 
upholding integrity;  
 
b) 
Enforce and monitor safe and quality standards of nursing practice, 
study the conditions affecting nursing practice in the Philippines, and exercise the 
powers necessary to ensure the maintenance of efficient, ethico-moral technical and 


 
11
professional standards in the practice of nursing towards optimal health and the   
common good;  
 
c) 
Ensure quality nursing in coordination with the CHED through the 
monitoring of HEI offerings, The continuing review of the nursing curriculum and the 
timely application for authority to offer new nursing education programs in order to 
ensure that the standards of nursing education are properly complied with and 
systematically updated in accordance with the latest development in health care;  
 
d) 
Within one (1) year from the effectivity of this Act, promulgate a Code of 
Ethics and Ethical Standards that is responsive to the needs of the nursing profession, 
in coordination with the APO for nurses;  
 
e) 
Prescribe and operationalize a Career Progression and Specialization 
Program for Nursing (CPSPN) which shall include the recognition and credentialing of 
organized nursing groups and the certification of advanced practice nurses to ensure 
the continuing professional development of nurses;  
 
f) 
Work in partnership with the appropriate agencies to identify and utilize  
resources earmarked for national nursing development;  
 
g) 
Prescribe, adopt, issue and promulgate guidelines, regulations, 
measures and to submit recommendations to authorities and agencies to aid in policy 
formulation and decision-making as may be necessary for the improvement of nursing 
practice, advancement of the profession, and for the proper and full enforcement of 
this Act, subject to the review and approval of the PRC;  
 
h) 
Spearhead and oversee the Philippine Profession Nursing Roadmap;  
 
i) 
Conduct hearings and investigations to resolve complaints against 
nurses for unethical or unprofessional conduct or any violation of this Act, or its rules 
and regulations, and in connection therewith, issue subpoena ad testificandum or 
subpoena duces tecum, or both, to require the appearance of respondents and 
witnesses or the production of documents, or both and to penalize for contempt 
persons obstructing, impeding or otherwise interfering with the conduct of such 
proceedings, upon application with the regular courts;   
 
j) 
Issue, suspend, revoke, or reinstate certificate of registration and special  
temporary permits for the practice of nursing; and  
 
k) 
Ensure performance of mandated duties and functions. 
 


 
12
 
SEC. 14. Annual Report. The Board shall, at the close of every calendar year, 
submit an annual report to the President and Congress of the Philippines, through the 
PRC, giving a detailed account of its proceedings and the accomplishments during 
the year and recommending the adoption of measures that will upgrade and improve 
the conditions affecting the practice of the nursing profession.  
 
 
 
SEC. 15. Removal or Suspension of Board Members. The President may 
remove or suspend any member of the Board, after due process, upon 
recommendation of the PRC on any of the following grounds:  
 
a) 
Continued neglect of duty or incompetence;  
 
b) 
Commission or toleration of irregularities in the conduct of the PNLE;  
 
c) 
Unprofessional, immoral, or dishonorable conduct; or  
 
d) 
Non-disclosure of conflict of interest.  
 
ARTICLEIII 
EXAMINATION AND REGISTRATION 
 
 
SEC. 16. Philippine Nurse Licensure Examination (PNLE).  In order to 
obtain a certificate of registration and professional identification card, all nursing 
graduates must take and pass the PNLE. The Board shall administer the PNLE in 
such places and dates as may be designated by the PRC. 
 
 
SEC. 17. Scope of Examination. The Board shall determine the scope of the 
PNLE, taking into consideration the nursing core competencies, the nursing 
curriculum, the scope and areas of nursing practice, and other related disciplines.  
 
 
SEC. 18. Qualifications for Admission to the PNLE.  At the time of the filing 
of application for the PNLE, an applicant must be:  
 
a) 
A holder of a BSN degree from an HEI that is compliant with the 
standards of nursing education recognized by the government;  
 
b) 
Of good moral character and has not been convicted by final judgment 
of any criminal offense involving moral turpitude or found guilty of immoral or 
dishonorable conduct or judicially declared to be of unsound mind; and  


 
13
 
c) 
A citizen of the Philippines, or of a foreign country or State which permits 
Filipino nurses to practice within its territorial limits on the same basis as the subject 
or citizen of such country or State: Provided, That the requirements for the registration 
or licensing of nurses in said country or State are substantially the same as those 
prescribed in this Act.  
 
 
SEC. 19. Professional Nurse Licensure Examination and Registration 
Fees. Applicants for the PNLE and registration must pay the prescribed fees set by 
the PRC.  
 
 
SEC. 20. Professional Nurse Licensure Examination Ratings. To be 
considered as having passed the PNLE, an examinee must pass at least seventy-five 
percent (75%) of the tested areas of all the nursing competencies.  An examinee who 
has failed the PNLE three times (3x) shall not be allowed to take it any further without 
first undertaking a refresher program in a duly accredited institution. The Board shall 
issue the guidelines on the refresher program requirement.  
 
 
SEC. 21. Issuance of Certificate of Registration and Professional 
Identification Card. The certificate of registration and professional identification card 
shall be issued to all successful examinees, upon compliance with all the requirements 
for registration. The certificate of registration shall show the full name of the registrant, 
certificate of registration number, and date of initial registration. The same must be 
duly signed by the Chairperson and Members of the Board and the Chairperson of the 
PRC, with their corresponding seals.  
 
 
The professional identification card shall bear the full name of the registrant, 
the certificate of registration number, date of initial registration, and date of the 
expiration, and which must be duly signed by the Chairperson of the PRC. The 
professional identification card shall be renewed every three (3) years upon 
satisfaction by the applicant of the requirements set by the PRC, including the 
payment of the required fees and compliance with the Continuing Professional 
Development (CPD) requirement.  
 


 
14
 
SEC. 22. Oath of Profession. All successful examinees must take the Oath of 
Profession before any member of the Board or government official authorized to 
administer oaths prior to practicing their profession.  
 
 
SEC. 23. Registry of Nurses. The PRC shall maintain a roster of nurses which 
shall serve as the centralized database of nurses for purposes of documentation, 
verification of registrants, statistics, research, and development.  
 
 
SEC. 24. Accredited Professional Organization (APO). All nurses whose 
names appear in the Registry of Nurses of the PRC may become members preferably 
of the APO for nurses, and shall receive all the benefits and privileges therefrom upon 
payment of membership fees and duties. Membership in other organizations of nurses 
shall not be barred.  
 
 
SEC. 25. Foreign Reciprocity. No foreign nurse shall be given a certificate of 
registration and professional identification card or be entitled to any of the privileges 
under this Act unless the country or State of which such foreign nurse is a subject or 
citizen permits Filipino nurses to practice within its territorial limits on the same basis 
as the subjects or citizens of said country or State.  
 
 
SEC. 26. Limited Practice Through Special Temporary Permit.  The Board 
may issue special temporary permits based on qualifications, and professional and 
moral standards as approved by the Board and the PRC to the following persons:  
 
a) 
Registered or Licensed Nurses of foreign citizenship: (i) whose services 
are either for a fee or free if they are internationally well known specialists or 
outstanding experts in any branch or specialty in nursing; (ii) who are on medical 
mission whose services shall be free in a particular hospital, center or clinic; (iii) who 
are engaged by HEIs offering the BSN program as exchange professors in a branch 
or specialty of nursing; or (iv) who come to provide aid during declared disasters and 
calamities.  
 
b) 
Nursing graduates with Philippine citizenship who may render nursing 
service during epidemics or national emergencies under the supervision of a 
registered and licensed nurse: Provided, That they have graduated within the last five 


 
15
(5) years prior to the occurrence of the epidemic or national emergency in which they 
shall serve.  
 
 
The special temporary permit issued to registered and licensed nurses of 
foreign citizenship shall be effective only for the duration of the project, health mission, 
or engagement, but which in no case shall exceed one (1) year, subject to renewal. 
The special temporary permit issued to nursing graduates with Philippine citizenship 
shall automatically cease upon the lifting or termination of the epidemic or national 
emergency.  
 
 
A completion report shall be submitted to the Board and the PRC after the 
conduct of such project, medical mission, engagement or contract. In the case of 
nurses of Philippine citizenship who rendered services during an epidemic or national 
emergency, the completion report shall be submitted by the registered nurse 
authorized to supervise them.  
 
The Board shall issue the corresponding guidelines in the issuance of the 
special temporary permit pursuant to this Section.  
 
 
SEC. 
27. 
Non-Registration 
and 
Non-issuance 
of 
Certificate 
of 
Registration, Professional Identification Card, Special Temporary Permit. Any 
person who has been convicted by final judgment of any criminal offense involving 
moral turpitude or found guilty of immoral or dishonorable conduct or judicially 
declared to be of unsound mind shall not be registered and issued a certificate of 
registration, professional identification card, or a special temporary permit.  
 
 
The Board shall furnish the applicant a written statement setting forth the 
reasons for such action, which shall be incorporated in the records of the Board.  
 
 
SEC. 28. Revocation and Suspension of Certificate of Registration, 
Professional Identification Card and Cancellation of Special Temporary Permit.  
The Board shall have the power to reprimand a nurse or revoke or suspend the 
certificate of registration, professional identification card, or special temporary permit, 
after due notice and hearing, on any of the following grounds:  


 
16
 
a) 
Conviction by final judgment of any criminal offense involving moral 
turpitude or of immoral or dishonorable conduct or having been judicially declared to 
be of unsound mind;  
 
b) 
Violation of this Act, the Code of Ethics and Ethical Standards for nurses,  
and other policies, rules and regulations of the Board and the PRC;  
 
c) 
Negligence, misconduct, or incompetence in the nursing practice 
resulting to injury, harm, disability or death;  
 
d) 
Commission 
of 
fraud, 
non-disclosure 
of 
disqualification, 
or 
misrepresentation in obtaining a certificate of registration, professional identification 
card, or special temporary permit;  
 
e) 
Practicing the nursing profession during the period of suspension of 
license;  
 
f) 
Breach of ethical practice in research in accordance with prevailing 
national and international guidelines; or  
 
g) 
Other grounds analogous to the foregoing.  
 
 
If the penalty imposed is suspension or revocation of a nurse’s license, the 
certificate of registration and professional identification card issued to the respondent 
shall be surrendered to the PRC. 
 
 
SEC. 29. Reinstatement and Re-issuance of Revoked Certificate of 
Registration and Professional Identification Card. The Board may, upon proper 
application therefor and payment of the required fees, reinstate or reissue a revoked 
certificate of registration after two (2) years from the effectivity of the period for 
revocation, for reasons of equity and justice, and when the cause for revocation has 
disappeared or has been cured or corrected.  
 
ARTICLE IV 
NURSING PRACTICE 
 
SEC. 30. Scope of Nursing Practice. The scope of nursing practice is the 
range of roles, functions, responsibilities, and activities on which a registered nurse is 
educated, competent, and has authority to perform. It includes nursing service, 
education, research, leadership, and governance as defined in this Act.  A person 
shall be deemed practicing the nursing profession when singly or in collaboration with 


 
17
other professionals, with or without fee or compensation, the person assumes any or 
all of the four (4) roles: (1) provider of direct client care, (2) educator, (3) researcher, 
and (4) manager and leader. The nurse's clients shall include individuals, families, 
population groups, and communities, with varying age groups, gender, health-illness 
status, in any health care, industrial or community setting. Additionally, nurses shall 
utilize the full extent of their education, training and experience and shall perform work 
that requires their highest skill set. 
 
Nurses are primarily responsible for the promotion of health and prevention of 
illness. Nurses shall collaborate with other health care providers for the promotive, 
preventive, curative and rehabilitative aspects of care, restoration of health, alleviation 
of suffering and, when recovery is not possible, in the provision of palliative and end-
of-life care.  
 
In performing independent and collaborative functions, it shall be the duty of the 
nurse to:  
a) 
Provide nursing care through the conscientious observance of the 
nursing process and established protocols. Basic nursing care is holistic care which 
includes, the provision of physiological, psycho-social, emotional and spiritual care. 
This shall comprise any or combination of essential primary health care, the 
application of traditional, complementary, and innovative approaches, the therapeutic 
use of self-rendering health care procedures and interventions; safety and comfort 
measures, health education, health counselling and administration of written 
prescription for treatment, therapies, oral topical and parenteral medications, 
performance of peripartal care covering pre-intra-postpartum care including the 
performance of internal examination during labor in the absence of antenatal bleeding, 
management of normal delivery and suturing of perinea; laceration and immediate 
care of the newborn; performance of perioperative care covering before and after 
surgery; provision of lifesaving interventions during emergency and disasters; 
palliative and end-of-life care;  
b) 
Provide advanced nursing care based on the Career Progression 
Specialization Program for Nursing (CPSPN) and the Philippine Qualifications 
Framework (PQF), a quality assured national system for the development, recognition 
and award of qualifications at defined levels based on standards of knowledge, skills 


 
18
and values acquired in different ways and methods by professionals, learners and 
workers. The PQF is competency-based, labor-market driven and an assessment-
based qualification recognition;  
c) 
Establish linkages with community resources and coordination with the  
healthcare workers in any health care, industrial or community setting;  
d) 
Provide health education and health counselling to empower individuals, 
families, population groups and communities towards the promotion of health, 
prevention of illness, and caring towards people living with a serious illness by 
providing relief from the symptoms of pain and stress of illness;   
e) 
Guide and supervise students in nursing education programs, including  
the administration of nursing services in varied settings such as hospitals, clinics and 
other health, industrial or community settings where practice of the nursing profession 
exists;  
f) 
Provide duly compensated professional nursing services, such as  
consultation services and private nursing practice;  
g) 
Supervise nursing and ancillary nursing personnel in the delivery of safe  
and quality healthcare services in varied settings;  
h) 
Maintain competence by adhering to the CPSP standards and the 
PPNPS as well as engage in CPD and lifelong learning within the context of the CPSP;  
i) 
Observe, at all times, the Code of Ethics and Ethical Standards for 
nurses promulgated by the Board, uphold the standards of safe and quality nursing 
practice, and demonstrate cultural and gender sensitivity and social responsibility;   
j) 
Undertake nursing and health human resource development training and  
research for continuous quality improvement and evidence-based practice; and  
k) 
Exercise the core competencies in the performance of their respective  
roles and responsibilities, in accordance with the PPNPS 
 
SEC. 31. Qualifications of a Registered Nurse. A nurse shall have a broad 
and coherent knowledge and skills in the field of nursing to provide safe and quality 
care to an individual, family, population group or community, independently or as part 
of a team. A nurse must be able to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate the care 
provided to clients based on evidence derived from practice and research.  A nurse 
may practice in special areas, such as a high dependency unit, critical care unit, 


 
19
disaster areas, or in a special procedure or interventional area: Provided, That the 
nurse has acquired relevant competencies.  
a) 
General Practice Nursing refers to the role of a newly licensed nurse in  
the provision of safe, holistic and to advocate quality care to individuals, families, 
population groups, or communities, which include the assessment, planning, 
implementation and evaluation of evidence-based care to the clients.    A general 
practice nurse must have the following minimum qualifications:  
1. 
Must be a BSN graduate from an HEI recognized by the 
government;  
2. 
Must have a valid certificate of registration and current 
professional identification card as a nurse issued by the PRC;  
3. 
Must be physically, mentally and psychologically fit to practice 
nursing; and  
4. 
Must not be convicted of any crime involving moral turpitude.  
b) 
Specialty Practice Nursing refers to the practice of a nurse in a specialty 
area for which the nurse needs to obtain specialty recognition after having undergone 
specialty training. Specialties can be differentiated in categories, according to function, 
disease, pathology, systems, age, sex, acuity, setting, technology, and therapies. 
Nurses who practice within this field are referred to as "Specialists”.  
 
A Specialty Practice Nurse or Specialist must have the following minimum 
qualifications:  
1. 
Must be a BSN graduate from an HEI recognized by the government;  
2. 
Must have a valid certificate of registration and current professional 
identification card as a nurse issued by the PRC;  
3. 
At least three (3) years of clinical experience in the area of specialization;  
4. 
Must have received a CPD Council-Accredited specialty training from a 
Career Progression and Specialization Council for Nurses credentialed 
organization;  
5. 
Must be physically, mentally, and psychologically fit to practice nursing;  
6. 
Must not be convicted of any crime involving moral turpitude; and  
7. 
Preferably a member of the appropriate Board-credentialed specialty 
organization.  


 
20
c) Advanced Practice Nursing refers to the specialized and expanded role of an 
Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) It involves certification of nurses with higher degree 
of qualifications by the Board and the PRC, thereby providing opportunities for role 
recognition within the human resource for health framework and expanded 
professional scope of practice. It maximizes the use of graduate education in nursing 
and the nurse's expertise to ensure safe, holistic, and quality care to individuals, 
families, population groups or communities towards achieving quality, accessible, and 
affordable health care for all Filipinos.  It also refers to a navigator, coordinator, and 
initial and continuing point of contact of the patient to ensure care continuity during 
transitions of care. An APN must have at least a master's degree in nursing and must 
possess substantial specialty experience. An APN must be endorsed by a specialty 
organization based on the recommendation of the Career Progression and 
Specialization Council for Nurses (CPSCN), and certified by the Professional 
Regulatory Board for nurses and the PRC.  
 
The scope of practice is Individual-based health services as defined in Republic  
Act No. 11223, otherwise known as “The Universal Health Care Act.”   
 
The APN is eligible to receive performance-driven, close-end, prospective 
payments from the PhilHealth based on disease or diagnosis related groupings and 
validated costing methodologies as described in R.A. No. 11223.  
 
An APN must have acquired substantial theoretical knowledge and decision-
making skills reflecting specialized and expanded competencies over and above the 
General Practice Nurse requirements.  
 
An APN must have the following minimum qualifications: 
1.  
A graduate with relevant master's degree from a government recognized 
HEI, with substantial specialty experience as may be determined by the Board;  
2.  
Must have satisfied the requirements for certification as promulgated by 
the Board; and  
3.  
Preferably be a member of the appropriate Board-credentialed specialty 
organization 
 


 
21
An APN shall have following responsibilities in collaboration with, and under the 
terms specified in a Collaborative Agreement, with a Collaborating Physician.  
1. 
Initiate patient admission to a primary, secondary, or tertiary healthcare 
facility;  
2. 
Provide direct primary-care services to patients of all ages;  
3. 
Diagnose diseases and injuries,  
4. 
Provide continuum of care of disease conditions;  
5. 
Provide promotive, preventive, rehabilitative and end-of-life care;  
6. 
Exercise prescriptive authority;  
7. 
Order and interpret laboratory and diagnostic tests;  
8. 
Provide anesthetic care;  
9. 
Refer patients to specialists, other health professionals, and institutions 
for appropriate care; and 
10.  
Initiate patient discharge. 
 
SEC. 32. Continuing Professional Development (CPD). - All nurses shall 
abide by the requirements, rules and regulations on the CPD to be promulgated by the 
PRC, in coordination with the APO for nurses, and the duly authorized representative 
of the organization of deans of HEIs offering the BSN program. For this purpose, a 
CPD Council shall be created to accredit CPD providers and programs for nurses.  
 
SEC. 33. Requirement for Inactive Nurses Returning to Practice. Inactive 
nurses intending to return to practice must undergo a refresher course as prescribed 
by the Board.  Nurses are considered to be inactive under any of the following 
circumstances:  
a) 
They have not utilized nursing competencies as defined in the scope of  
nursing practice for at least five (5) consecutive years;  
b) 
They have not renewed their professional identification card for five (5)  
years; or  
c) 
They do not have proof of five (5) years of continuous nursing practice;  
 
SEC. 34. Salary and Compensation. Nurses shall, at all times, receive 
compensation that is just and due them and commensurate to the level of education, 
training, experience and complexity of nursing skill required for the services rendered. 


 
22
Nurses providing nursing services in both government and private sectors, and who 
are integral to the functioning of hospitals and healthcare institutions, must be 
classified as regular staff after a reasonable probationary period, as mandated by law.   
 
The minimum base pay of all nurses, whether they are working in the public 
sector, in private healthcare facilities, in industrial or community settings shall not, 
upon entry, be lower than the rate assigned to Salary Grade 15 (SG 15) in the 
government service.  
 
The pay for nurses working in Nursing Education, both in government and 
nongovernment schools and universities, shall be in accordance with academic rank.  
 
Non-government or private healthcare facilities, or both, institutions and 
industrial establishments shall comply with the salary rate requirement in tranches 
within three (3) years from the effectivity of this Act.  
 
Subject to existing labor laws, outsourcing nursing work is acceptable under 
certain circumstances to be provided in the rules and regulations to be issued to 
implement this Act.  
 
SEC. 35. Incentives and Benefits.  The Board shall, in coordination with the 
DOH, other concerned government and non-government institutions, association of 
hospitals and the APO for nurses, establish an incentive and benefit system in the 
form of free hospital care, scholarship grants and other non-cash benefits for nurses 
and their dependents subject to existing regulations.  
 
SEC. 36. Non-Diminution of Benefits and Incentives.  The implementation 
of Sections 34 and 35 of this Act shall not result in the diminution of existing grants of 
salaries, benefits and incentives for nurses. 
 
ARTICLE V 
NURSING EDUCATION 
SEC. 37. Basic Nursing Education.  Nursing education refers to the formal 
learning and training in the science and art of nursing provided by HEIs duly 


 
23
recognized by the CHED. There shall be a standard Baccalaureate and a Graduate 
Program for Nursing Education pursuant to Republic Act No. No. 7722, otherwise 
known as the “Higher Education Act of 1994”.  
 
SEC 38. Baccalaureate Program for Nursing Education. The Baccalaureate 
Program for Nursing Education refers to the basic nursing education program which is 
envisioned as a sound and liberal professional education that will adequately equip 
nursing students with the necessary competencies for entry level nursing practice.  
 
Admission to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program requires passing the 
National Nursing Admission Test (NNAT).  
 
The curriculum and the Related Learning Experiences (RLE) of the 
Baccalaureate Program for Nursing Education must be in accordance with the 
Policies, Standards and Guidelines.  
 
SEC. 39. Graduate Program for Nursing Education. The Graduate Program 
for nursing education refers to the post baccalaureate nursing program which builds 
on the experiences and skills of a nurse towards mastery, expertise, and leadership in 
practice, education, and research. This includes the Master's Degree and Doctorate 
Degree in Nursing.  
The Graduate Program for Nursing Education shall be offered only through 
accredited HEIs in accordance with the prevailing policies, standards and guidelines 
of the CHED on the graduate program for nursing education.  
 
SEC. 40. Qualifications of the Dean.  
a)  
The Dean of the College of Nursing of a BSN program shall formulate 
policies and plans, in collaboration with the school officials and stakeholders and must 
adhere to the prescribed curriculum for the advancement of nursing education. The 
Dean must have the following qualifications:  
1. 
Be a Filipino citizen, physically and mentally fit, and with good moral 
character;  
2. 
Be a holder of a valid certificate of registration and a current professional 
identification card issued by the PRC;  


 
24
3. 
Be a holder of a Master's Degree in Nursing conferred by an HEI duly 
recognized by the government.  
4. 
Have at least a total of five (5) years of experience in teaching, 
administration, and supervision in nursing education;  
5. 
Preferably be a member of the organization of Deans duly recognized 
by the Board;  
6. 
Not hold a concurrent Dean position in another HEI and no other 
teaching assignments or administrative functions in other public/private institution or 
higher education institution; and  
7. 
Have a duly notarized employment contract as dean of the nursing 
program of at least one (1) academic year with corresponding academic rank 
renewable annually.  
 
b)  
The Dean or administrator of the academic unit shall be a holder of a  
doctorate degree in the discipline or allied field and has published works in refereed 
journals in one of the disciplines under the academic unit.       
 
SEC. 41. Qualifications of the Faculty.   
a) For the Baccalaureate Program in Nursing Education. A member of the 
faculty teaching in an undergraduate program must possess the following 
qualifications:  
1.  
Be a Filipino citizen, physically and mentally fit, and with good moral 
character;  
2. 
Be a BSN degree holder;  
3. 
Be a holder of a master’s degree in nursing for teaching professional 
nursing subjects or a master’s degree in health-related programs for teaching non-
professional nursing subjects conferred by a duly recognized HEI;  
4. 
Be a holder of a valid certificate of registration and a current professional 
identification card as a nurse issued by the PRC;  
5. 
Have at least three (3) years clinical experience in any nursing practice 
setting; and  
6. 
Preferably be a member of an accredited professional nursing 
organization of good standing and of a specialty nursing organization.  
 
b)  
For the Graduate In-Nursing Education. A member of the faculty 
teaching in a post-graduate program must possess the following qualifications:  


 
25
1. 
Be a Filipino citizen, physically and mentally fit, and with good moral 
character;  
2. 
Be a BSN degree holder;  
3. 
Be a holder preferably of a Doctorate Degree in Nursing or allied field 
conferred by a duly recognized HEI;   
4. 
Be a holder of a valid and current certificate of registration and 
professional identification card as a nurse issued by the PRC;  
5. 
Have at least three (3) years clinical experience in any nursing practice 
setting;  
6. 
Have published works in refereed Nursing or health-related journals; and   
7. 
Preferably be a member of an accredited integrated professional nursing 
organization of good standing and of a specialty nursing organization.  
 
SEC. 42. Faculty-to-Student-Ratio. The faculty-to-student ratio must be in 
accordance with the standards to be determined and prescribed by the CHED.  
 
ARTICLE VI 
NURSING SERVICE 
SEC. 43. Nursing Service. Nursing service refers to the healthcare services 
provided by nurses. It includes the provision of general nursing services, specialized, 
and advanced practice of nursing, including nursing management in various health, 
industry, or community settings where the competencies of a nurse are required.  
 
SEC 44. Public Health Nursing Service. There shall be adequate provision of 
essential health services in every local health facility to effectively implement public 
health programs for community and population groups. These essential services shall 
include: health information and education;  expanded program of immunization against 
major infectious diseases; maternal and child health care including family planning and 
counselling; micronutrient and nutritional food supplementation; prevention, treatment 
and control of communicable and non-communicable diseases including locally 
endemic diseases; mental health promotion; occupational health and safety; safe 
water and environmental sanitation; basic drugs supply; and emergency and disaster 
management.  
 


 
26
SEC 45. Public Health Nurse (PHN). Public Health Nurses participate in the 
delivery of essential health care services as described in Sec. 44. They work with the 
individuals, families, and population groups that are the nucleus of the community. 
They collaborate with other members of the service delivery network with the goal of 
promoting health, preventing disease and disability, and treating common diseases. A 
PHN may progress to become a Public Health Nurse Specialist (PHNS) after obtaining 
specialty training focused on public health-based programs and substantial 
experience in managing public health conditions.   
 
A PHNS may progress to become an APN in public health after obtaining 
advanced nursing education either through a master's or doctoral degree with 
emphasis on public health sciences, or their equivalencies as promulgated by the 
CHED, and as defined in Section 31 of this Act.  
 
As Advanced PHN Practitioners, their duties and responsibilities include the 
following:   
a) 
Delivering population-centered services and programs and other public 
health services such as occupational health; school health; emergency and disaster, 
and home and hospice services;  
b) 
Providing direct and indirect care to population groups and communities. 
Direct care consists of assessing and diagnosing population or communities; planning 
nursing actions; mobilizing community responses; monitoring population health status 
and evaluating outcomes. Indirect care consists of engaging in policy change, 
education and training of public health nurse practitioners in interdisciplinary research, 
and acting as consultants to policy makers; and,  
c) 
Exercising collaborative leadership and political skills for successful  
population outcomes.  
 
SEC. 46. The Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) and the National Chief Nursing 
Officer.       There shall be a nursing service office in every healthcare institution and 
in all levels and classifications of these institutions, whether administrative or clinical, 
with a complement of at least ten (10) Nurses. Nursing services must be under the 
control and management of a registered nurse designated as Chief Nursing Officer 
(CNO) in each health institution.   


 
27
 
Within the framework of health care delivery, nursing services in private and 
public institutions or community settings must be led and managed by a CNO, or the 
equivalent of Chief Nurse (CN) or Director of Nursing. The CNO shall be bestowed full 
administrative responsibility as leader and manager of nursing services within each 
institution. The CNO shall have the authority and accountability over the planning, 
organizing, directing, and controlling including monitoring, evaluation, and policy 
development of nursing resources related to nursing services. The CNO 
responsibilities include strategic and operational planning, financial and resource 
allocation, policies and procedures development, professional and organizational 
involvement to address issues that have relevance for nursing.  
 
There shall also be a National Chief Nursing Officer (NCNO) in the DOH who 
shall oversee and coordinate national nursing personnel utilization nurses’ welfare, the 
observance of decent work standards in all healthcare facilities and institutions, and 
the adaptation of nursing care development trends in nursing education and practice 
in both the public and private sectors.  
 
The NCNO, being the highest-ranking nursing official in the DOH, shall be 
responsible for overseeing and coordinating strategic management, financial and 
resource allocation, policies and standards development, professional and 
organizational development to relevantly address national epidemiologic and nursing 
personnel supply, demand, and distribution trends. The NCNO shall oversee the 
development of the Nursing Human Resource for Health Management System 
(NHRHMS), a national nursing information system and utilize statistical data and other 
nursing outcome metrics in the exercise of good governance and full accountability 
over nursing personnel systems in both private and public health care and community 
settings. The NCNO shall also act as the advocate for the rights and welfare of nurses 
in both public and private institutions. Further, the NCNO shall serve a term of three  
(3) years, subject to renewal.  
 
A CNO and NCNO must possess the qualifications as prescribed under the 
Policies, Standards and Guidelines to be promulgated by the Board.  
The CNO must have the following minimum qualifications:  


 
28
a) 
Be a registered nurse in the Philippines;  
b) 
Be a holder of a Master's degree in Nursing conferred by an HEI duly  
recognized by the government;  
c) 
Be a holder of a valid certificate of registration and a current professional  
identification card as a nurse issued by the PRC; and  
d) 
Have at least five (5) years of experience in general nursing service 
administration with experience in policy development;  
e) 
Preferably be a member of good standing of the APO of nurses; and  
f) 
Preferably be a member of the organization of nursing service 
administrators duly recognized by the Board.  
 
The NCNO must have the following minimum qualifications:  
a) 
Be a registered nurse in the Philippines;  
b) 
Have a degree of Bachelor of Science in Nursing;  
c) 
Be a holder of a Doctorate degree conferred by an HEI duly recognized  
by the government in a relevant healthcare and business administration field;  
d) 
Be a holder of a valid certificate of registration and a current professional  
identification card as a nurse issued by the PRC;  
e) 
Must have the necessary Career Executive Service Officer (CESO) rank;  
f) 
Have at least five (5) years of experience in general nursing service  
administration with experience in policy development;  
g) 
Preferably be a member of good standing of the APO of nurses; and  
h) 
Preferably be a member of the organization of nursing service 
administrators duly recognized by the Board.  
 
ARTICLE VIl 
NURSING RESEARCH, POLICY DEVELOPMENT, AND PLANNING 
SEC. 47. Nursing Research and Policy Development. Nursing Research and 
Policy Development shall involve the study of nurse-related issues, such as:  
a) 
Professional nursing practice and nursing development such as 
advancing nursing knowledge, health and nursing governance, to ensure quality 
nursing care for all and advocacy for sound health policies nationally and globally;  
b) 
Information 
and 
knowledge 
management 
and 
communication 
technology;  


 
29
c) 
Regulation of nursing standards, competencies and the process of 
credentialling; and  
d) 
Socio-economic welfare for nurses like occupational health and safety, 
human resources planning and policy, remuneration, career development. 
 
ARTICLE VIII 
NURSING LEADERSHIP AND GOVERNANCE 
SEC. 48.      Nursing Leadership and Governance. - Nursing leadership and 
governance involve the process of influencing other people through the exercise of 
authority, direction, control, and regulation in the practice of the nursing profession to 
achieve desired goals. To accomplish this, nursing services must be managed by 
competent nursing personnel.   
Nursing service management refers to the management and administration of 
nursing services by nurses who must be equipped with the following necessary 
competencies on governance and leadership:  
a) 
A First Level Service Manager is responsible for the management of a 
nursing unit and supervision of nursing support personnel including, Caregivers, 
Healthcare Dialysis Technicians, Medication Technicians, Orderlies, Orthopedics 
Technicians, Patient Care Technicians, Sitters, Surgical Technicians, and Ward 
Clerks or Secretaries.  
b) 
A Middle Level Service Manager is responsible for the leadership and 
governance of more than one (1) nursing unit, particularly them management of 
operational systems, financial resources, and human resources.  
c) 
An Executive Level Service Manager is responsible for establishing the 
strategic direction for the entire nursing division, and the development and 
implementation of policies, standards and guidelines in nursing services. Nursing 
Service Managers shall have the following minimum qualifications:  
a) 
For a first level managerial position in nursing:   
1. Completion of at least eighteen (18) units of nursing management and 
clinical subjects in a Master of Arts Degree Program in Nursing or Master of 
Science in Nursing Degree Program, with at least three (3) years of clinical work 
experience, and   
2. Participation in at least one (1) research project related to the 
improvement of the quality of care.       


 
30
b) 
For a middle level managerial position in nursing:   
1. Completion of all the academic requirements of a Master of Arts in 
Nursing Degree Program or Master of Science in Nursing Degree Program;  
2. At least three (3) years of clinical work and two (2) years of 
management experience, and   
3. Conduct of at least one (1) research project related to the 
improvement of the quality of care.  
c) 
For an executive position in nursing:   
1. A post-graduate degree in nursing or health management-related 
sciences,  
2. At least three (3) years of clinical work and three (3) years of 
management experience,  
3. Conduct of at least two (2) research projects related to the 
improvement of quality of health care.  
 
ARTICLE IX 
NURSING HUMAN RESOURCE FOR HEALTH MANAGEMENT SYSTEM 
SEC. 49. Nursing Human Resource for Health Management System. - The 
Nursing Human Resource for Health Management System (NHRHMS) shall cover all 
nursing human resources in the nursing service of both public and private sectors, and 
the healthcare, industrial and community settings. Institutions shall be mandated to 
report their information to ensure accurate nursing human resource and workforce 
projections and to reconcile these with supply data from CHED and PRC.  
 
Healthcare facilities and institutions, including industrial establishments that 
hire nurses, shall implement strategic NHRHMS in all levels of the nursing service, 
and in this pursuit, shall adopt and define appropriate nursing organizational structures 
to support competency development, career and professional growth, and promote 
job delight which is a state of mental and emotional satisfaction over one’s productivity, 
conditions at work, and job fulfilment.  
 
It shall be mandatory for each healthcare facility to employ an evidence-based 
human resources for health (HRH) assessment tool for nursing workload and workload 
pressure, preferably the World Health Organization Workload Indicators for Staffing 


 
31
Needs, to determine annually minimum safe staffing needs for registered nurses and 
nursing personnel.  These nursing staffing ratios, nursing plantilla, and skill-mix 
standards are requisites for safe and quality care for patients and must be upheld and 
practiced for a healthcare facility to be granted continued permission to operate the 
facility. The facility must use this assessment to plan and provide a budget for regular 
and plantilla positions to ensure that safe and quality care is provided by the institution.  
 
Additionally, a registry of nursing professionals shall be incorporated in the 
NHRHMS in coordination with DOH, private institutions, and nursing organizations and 
groups indicating, among others, their current number of practitioners and location of 
practice.  
 
SEC. 50. Nursing Staff Complement. - The Board shall, in consultation with 
the DOH and other stakeholders, ensure the provision of a safe nursing workforce for 
any healthcare setting guided by the following principles:  
a) 
Use of evidence-based, reliable, and up-to-date staffing and workforce  
data;  
b) 
Regular review and updating of staffing based on up-to-date evidence 
and best nursing practices within healthcare facility, and nurse, nurse-sensitive 
patient, organizational and system outcomes;  
c) 
Non-substitution of nurses by other healthcare professionals in 
performing nursing functions;  
d) 
Non-delegation of nurses in management positions to augment staff 
limitations;       
e) 
Respect for nurses' professional judgment in determining the required 
safe workforce staffing;  
f) 
Active involvement of direct care nursing staff and nursing management  
in all stages and aspects of the institution's HRH design, policy development, and 
decision making.  
g) 
Timely adjustments to nurse staffing based on changes in patients and  
population healthcare needs.  
h) 
The nursing workforce complement is designed to ensure patient safety, 
quality service delivery, and the maintenance of a positive practice environment that 
promotes economic welfare, professional autonomy, job satisfaction and retention, 


 
32
and ensures safe staffing, managerial support, professional development, 
occupational safety and psychological health and patient and nurse safety.   
 
The appropriate number of nurses must be available at all times across the 
continuum of care, and a suitable mix of education, skills, and experiences must be 
maintained to ensure that patient care needs are met and the working environment is 
kept safe and conducive to optimal performance of support staff.  
 
The maximum number of patients cared for by each nurse assigned in a 
healthcare facility, setting, or unit shall be determined by the ratio of staff nurse-to-
patient in a general nursing service, or in the case of a general ward of a hospital, shall 
be based on patient acuity, complexity of work, nurse competencies, and nursing 
modalities to effectuate positive practice environment, safe, and quality nursing care 
for patients.  
 
For general units, the maximum number of patients that a nurse may effectively 
and safely handle at any given time is ten (10). Thus, the minimum safe staffing ratio 
standard for general units is 1:10 or one nurse for every ten patients. However, this 
staff-to-patient ratio may vary based on the assessed Safe Staffing Standard.  
 
Failure to comply with the above minimum safe staffing ratios must be justified 
through the assessment tool findings and analysis as provided in this section. 
Noncompliance shall be referred to the Board for action.  
 
A nurse may invoke the process of safe harbor for protection against employer 
retaliation, suspension, termination, discipline, discrimination, licensure sanction when 
asked to accept an unsafe assignment in activities beyond the scope of the nursing 
practice, or in an unprofessional and illegal act.  In this case, the nurse shall submit a 
written notification to the supervisor who requested the conduct of such unsafe, 
unprofessional or illegal assignment invoking safe harbor. If a nurse is unable to 
submit such written notification due to patient care needs, the nurse may orally invoke 
it, and the supervisor must record the record the request in writing.  
 


 
33
The Board shall, from time to time, and in consultation with the DOH and other 
stakeholders, review and modify the nurse-to-population ratio as may hereinafter be 
established for the healthcare and industrial settings, and for the community setting 
taking into consideration the current community characteristics and population needs.  
 
In the community, there shall be a nurse in every barangay health center, 
primary, secondary, and tertiary school, and industrial establishment, subject to the 
applicable staffing ratio by the appropriate government agency.  
 
SEC. 51. Return Service Agreement.  All nursing graduates who are 
recipients of government-funded scholarship programs shall be required to serve in 
priority areas in the public sector for at least three (3) years, with compensation, and 
under the supervision of the DOH: Provided, That those who will serve for an additional 
two (2) years shall be provided with additional incentives as determined by the DOH.  
Graduates of nursing from state universities and colleges and private schools shall be 
encouraged to serve in these areas.  
 
ARTICLE X 
PROHIBITED ACTS AND PENAL PROVISIONS 
SEC. 52. The following acts are prohibited:   
a) 
Practicing the nursing profession without a certificate of registration, 
professional identification card, special temporary permit or without having declared 
exempted from taking the licensure examination in accordance with this Act;  
b) 
Using the certificate of registration, professional identification card, or 
special temporary permit of another registered nurse;  
c) 
Using fraudulent, suspicious, or an expired suspended or revoked 
certificate of registration, professional identification card, or special temporary permit;  
d) 
Misrepresenting one’s self or proffering false evidence to obtain a 
certificate of registration, professional identification card or special temporary permit;  
e) 
Falsely advertises one’s self through any means to convey the 
impression that one is a nurse;  
f) 
Appending to one’s name the abbreviations “B.S.N” “R.N” or “APN” for 
Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Registered Nurse and Advance Practice Nurse, 


 
34
respectively, without having been conferred the corresponding degree, registration, or 
certification by the PRC;  
g) 
Abetting or assisting in the illegal practice of the nursing profession 
through the following acts and entities:  
1. 
An HEI offering the BSN program which shall withhold any requirement 
or document, or both, of any graduate for the purpose of preventing them to apply for 
the PNLE without any justifiable reason;  
2. 
Any natural or juridical person or health facility which subscribes to 
substandard quality of nursing care or nursing practice, such as non-compliance with 
the nurse-patient ratio requirement;  
3. 
Any natural or juridical person or health facility that abets and promotes 
precarious working conditions for nurses, such as the following:  
i. 
Contracting or availing of the services of a nurse but provides 
compensation below the rate prescribed under this Act, whether 
or not under the pretext of a training development program, 
certification, or course, or seminar;  
ii. 
Depriving or denying a nurse of the incentives and benefits as 
provided for under existing laws;  
iii. 
Collecting any fee from a nurse or from any person or agent in 
exchange for a nurse’s voluntary services in a health, industrial or 
similar facility or institution;  
iv. 
Requiring or obliging a volunteer nurse to perform regular work 
functions or work load expected from a regular staff nurse without 
proper compensation, or to render full time service as a condition 
for the continued availment of their volunteer services, or to be 
the sole nurse on duty, except during disasters, calamities, public 
emergencies and war;  
v. 
Contracting or availing of the services of a volunteer nurse, under 
the pretext of On-The-Job Training, contract of service, or job 
orders, in order to fill-up a vacant position that requires the hiring 
of a fulltime regular employed nurse, or for free in exchange for 
any type of certification to be issued by the health facility or 
institution or industrial establishment for purposes of the nurse's 
employment application;   


 
35
vi. 
Contracting or availing of the services of a nurse, under the 
pretext of training or certification course, but requiring the nurse 
to render the tasks and responsibilities expected of a regular staff 
or public health nurse;  
vii. 
Practicing job-splitting or hiring two part-timers in place of one full-
time employee and deploying the two nurses on a full-time basis;  
viii. 
Making mandatory, as a pre-hiring requirement, training that 
should have been acquired during the BSN program or which, 
rightfully should be provided by the hiring institution;  
ix. 
Repeatedly subjecting or allowing the nurse to experience 
prejudice, violence, or discrimination; and  
x. 
Imposing mandatory overtime service without valid reason or 
corresponding compensation, as mandated by law; and  
xi. 
Non-compliance with the minimum safe staffing requirement 
mandated in Sec. 50.  
h)  
Any violation of the provisions of this Act or any existing laws such as 
the Labor Code of the Philippines and the civil service laws.  
 
SEC. 53. Sanctions. - A fine of not less than One hundred thousand pesos 
(Php 100,000.00) nor more than Three hundred thousand pesos (Php300,000.00) or 
imprisonment of not less than one (1) year nor more than six (6) years, or both, shall 
be imposed, at the discretion of the court, for the commission of any of the prohibited 
acts enumerated in Section 52 (a) of this Act.  
 
A fine of not less than Three hundred thousand pesos (Php300,000.00) nor 
more than Five hundred thousand pesos (Php500,000.00) or imprisonment of not less 
than one (1) year or more than six (6) years, or both, shall be imposed, at the discretion 
of the court, for the commission of any of the prohibited acts enumerated in Section 
52(b), (c), (d) and (e) hereof. In addition, the court may, at its discretion, order the 
suspension or revocation of the license to operate of the erring healthcare facility, 
institution, or industrial establishment In case the violation is committed by a 
partnership, corporation, association, or any other juridical person, the managing 
partner, president, managing director/s, or officer who has committed or consented to 


 
36
such violation shall be held directly liable and responsible for the acts as principal, or 
as co-principal with the other participants, if any.  
 
SEC. 54. Refund and Compensation. Any nurse found to have been a victim  
under Section 53 (e) hereof shall be entitled to a full refund of all fees illegally collected 
and the payment of unpaid salary, if any, which should not be less than the applicable 
wage for services rendered without prejudice to other reliefs that may be claimed   
under applicable laws.  
 
ARTICLE XI 
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS 
SEC. 55. Implementing Agencies. - The Department of Budget and 
Management (DBM), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Labor and 
Employment (DOLE), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Civil 
Service Commission (CSC), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), shall be 
responsible for the implementation and monitoring of the compliance with the 
provisions of this Act.  
 
The DOH, as the lead agency, the DILG, and CSC shall be responsible for 
monitoring the compliance with and implementation of the provisions of this Act by 
public health facilities and institutions.   
 
The DOLE shall be the agency responsible for monitoring the compliance and 
implementation of the provisions of this Act by private health facilities and institutions 
and industrial establishments. In addition, the DOLE shall create a separate category 
for health workers befitting the importance and complexity of the work performed by 
nurses and other healthcare professionals.  
 
The PRC and the Board shall be the designated agencies responsible for 
monitoring the compliance with and implementation of the provisions of this Act by 
nurses, HEIs, CPD providers, health facilities and institutions, and industrial 
establishments.   
 


 
37
The CHED shall be the agency responsible for monitoring the compliance with 
and implementation of the provisions of this Act by HEIs with regard to nursing 
education programs and curriculum.  
 
SEC. 56. Funding for the Advance Practice Nurse (APN) Training. The 
participating government hospitals and institutions shall include their budgets the 
annual financial requirement needed to train at least ten percent (10 %) of their nursing 
staff: Provided however, That non-government hospitals and institutions shall support 
the training requirements of their nursing staff employed by them.  Nothing in this 
provision shall prevent, diminish or otherwise revoke existing company policies that 
are more favorable to the employee.  
 
SEC. 57. Appropriations.  The Chairperson of the Professional Regulation 
Commission and the Secretary of the Department of Health shall immediately include 
in their program the implementation of this Act, the funding of which shall be included 
in the annual General Appropriations Act.  
 
SEC. 58. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within ninety days (90) 
after the effectivity of this Act, the PRC and the Board shall, in consultation with the 
APO for nurses, CSC, DBM, DOH and other concerned nursing organizations and 
government agencies formulate the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) 
necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act.  
 
SEC. 59. Separability Clause. - Should any provision of this Act be declared 
unconstitutional, the remaining parts not affected thereby shall remain valid and 
operational.  
 
SEC. 60. Repealing Clause. Republic Act No. 9173, otherwise known as the 
'Philippine Nursing Act of 2002' is hereby repealed. All other laws, decrees, orders, 
circulars, issuances, rules and regulations and parts thereof which are inconsistent 
with this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.  
 
SEC. 61. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 


 
38
 
Approved,