456.0391 Advanced registered nurse practitioners; information required for certification.—
(1)(a) Each person who applies for initial certification under s. 464.012 must, at the time of application, and each person certified under s. 464.012 who applies for certification renewal must, in conjunction with the renewal of such certification and under procedures adopted by the Department of Health, and in addition to any other information that may be required from the applicant, furnish the following information to the Department of Health:
1. The name of each school or training program that the applicant has attended, with the months and years of attendance and the month and year of graduation, and a description of all graduate professional education completed by the applicant, excluding any coursework taken to satisfy continuing education requirements.
2. The name of each location at which the applicant practices.
3. The address at which the applicant will primarily conduct his or her practice.
4. Any certification or designation that the applicant has received from a specialty or certification board that is recognized or approved by the regulatory board or department to which the applicant is applying.
5. The year that the applicant received initial certification and began practicing the profession in any jurisdiction and the year that the applicant received initial certification in this state.
6. Any appointment which the applicant currently holds to the faculty of a school related to the profession and an indication as to whether the applicant has had the responsibility for graduate education within the most recent 10 years.
7. A description of any criminal offense of which the applicant has been found guilty, regardless of whether adjudication of guilt was withheld, or to which the applicant has pled guilty or nolo contendere. A criminal offense committed in another jurisdiction which would have been a felony or misdemeanor if committed in this state must be reported. If the applicant indicates that a criminal offense is under appeal and submits a copy of the notice for appeal of that criminal offense, the department must state that the criminal offense is under appeal if the criminal offense is reported in the applicant’s profile. If the applicant indicates to the department that a criminal offense is under appeal, the applicant must, within 15 days after the disposition of the appeal, submit to the department a copy of the final written order of disposition.
8. A description of any final disciplinary action taken within the previous 10 years against the applicant by a licensing or regulatory body in any jurisdiction, by a specialty board that is recognized by the board or department, or by a licensed hospital, health maintenance organization, prepaid health clinic, ambulatory surgical center, or nursing home. Disciplinary action includes resignation from or nonrenewal of staff membership or the restriction of privileges at a licensed hospital, health maintenance organization, prepaid health clinic, ambulatory surgical center, or nursing home taken in lieu of or in settlement of a pending disciplinary case related to competence or character. If the applicant indicates that the disciplinary action is under appeal and submits a copy of the document initiating an appeal of the disciplinary action, the department must state that the disciplinary action is under appeal if the disciplinary action is reported in the applicant’s profile.
(b) In addition to the information required under paragraph (a), each applicant for initial certification or certification renewal must provide the information required of licensees pursuant to s. 456.049.
(2) The Department of Health shall send a notice to each person certified under s. 464.012 at the certificateholder’s last known address of record regarding the requirements for information to be submitted by advanced registered nurse practitioners pursuant to this section in conjunction with the renewal of such certificate.
(3) Each person certified under s. 464.012 who has submitted information pursuant to subsection (1) must update that information in writing by notifying the Department of Health within 45 days after the occurrence of an event or the attainment of a status that is required to be reported by subsection (1). Failure to comply with the requirements of this subsection to update and submit information constitutes a ground for disciplinary action under chapter 464 and s. 456.072(1)(k). For failure to comply with the requirements of this subsection to update and submit information, the department or board, as appropriate, may:
(a) Refuse to issue a certificate to any person applying for initial certification who fails to submit and update the required information.
(b) Issue a citation to any certificateholder who fails to submit and update the required information and may fine the certificateholder up to $50 for each day that the certificateholder is not in compliance with this subsection. The citation must clearly state that the certificateholder may choose, in lieu of accepting the citation, to follow the procedure under s. 456.073. If the certificateholder disputes the matter in the citation, the procedures set forth in s. 456.073 must be followed. However, if the certificateholder does not dispute the matter in the citation with the department within 30 days after the citation is served, the citation becomes a final order and constitutes discipline. Service of a citation may be made by personal service or certified mail, restricted delivery, to the subject at the certificateholder’s last known address.
(4)(a) An applicant for initial certification under s. 464.012 must submit a set of fingerprints to the Department of Health on a form and under procedures specified by the department, along with payment in an amount equal to the costs incurred by the Department of Health for a national criminal history check of the applicant.
(b) An applicant for renewed certification who has not previously submitted a set of fingerprints to the Department of Health for purposes of certification must submit a set of fingerprints to the department as a condition of the initial renewal of his or her certificate after the effective date of this section. The applicant must submit the fingerprints on a form and under procedures specified by the department, along with payment in an amount equal to the costs incurred by the Department of Health for a national criminal history check. For subsequent renewals, the applicant for renewed certification must only submit information necessary to conduct a statewide criminal history check, along with payment in an amount equal to the costs incurred by the Department of Health for a statewide criminal history check.
(c)1. The Department of Health shall submit the fingerprints provided by an applicant for initial certification to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for a statewide criminal history check, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement shall forward the fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a national criminal history check of the applicant.
2. The department shall submit the fingerprints provided by an applicant for the initial renewal of certification to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for a statewide criminal history check, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement shall forward the fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a national criminal history check for the initial renewal of the applicant’s certificate after the effective date of this section.
3. For any subsequent renewal of the applicant’s certificate, the department shall submit the required information for a statewide criminal history check of the applicant to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
(d) Any applicant for initial certification or renewal of certification as an advanced registered nurse practitioner who submits to the Department of Health a set of fingerprints and information required for the criminal history check required under this section shall not be required to provide a subsequent set of fingerprints or other duplicate information required for a criminal history check to the Agency for Health Care Administration, the Department of Juvenile Justice, or the Department of Children and Families for employment or licensure with such agency or department, if the applicant has undergone a criminal history check as a condition of initial certification or renewal of certification as an advanced registered nurse practitioner with the Department of Health, notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary. In lieu of such duplicate submission, the Agency for Health Care Administration, the Department of Juvenile Justice, and the Department of Children and Families shall obtain criminal history information for employment or licensure of persons certified under s. 464.012 by such agency or department from the Department of Health’s health care practitioner credentialing system.
(5) Each person who is required to submit information pursuant to this section may submit additional information to the Department of Health. Such information may include, but is not limited to:
(a) Information regarding publications in peer-reviewed professional literature within the previous 10 years.
(b) Information regarding professional or community service activities or awards.
(c) Languages, other than English, used by the applicant to communicate with patients or clients and identification of any translating service that may be available at the place where the applicant primarily conducts his or her practice.
(d) An indication of whether the person participates in the Medicaid program.
History.—s. 152, ch. 2000-318; s. 268, ch. 2014-19.
