Is the status "volunteer retired nurse" a special type of nursing license?
Actually, it is not a "license." It is considered a sub-category of the "Inactive" status for nursing licensure, and is an "authorization" that the Board may grant upon request to a nurse who meets criteria and pays the applicable fee for this designation.
What rules apply to a nurse who is authorized as a volunteer retired nurse?
A nurse seeking to attain/maintain authorization as a volunteer retired nurse must comply with three rules:
- §216.3(6) regarding reduced requirements for continuing education (10 hours of CE every two years; if VR-RN with APN status, 20 hours of CE are required);
- §217.9 regarding requirements to attain/maintain authorization as a volunteer retired nurse (possess unencumbered license, not perform any nursing duties for compensation, be at least 65 years old); and
- §223.1(17) which specifies a fee of $10.00 (ten) dollars each renewal period (2-years).
What defines a "charitable organization"?
A charitable organization is defined in Section 84.003 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code [http://tlo2.tlc.state.tx.us/statutes/cp.toc.htm] and includes "any bona fide charitable, religious, prevention of cruelty to children or animals, youth sports and youth recreational, neighborhood crime prevention or patrol, or educational organization (excluding fraternities, sororities, and secret societies), or other organization promoting the common good and general welfare for the people in a community, including these types of organizations with a Section 501(c)(3) or (4) exemption from federal income tax, some chambers of commerce, and volunteer centers certified by the Department of Public Safety."
What titles can a volunteer retired nurse use?
A nurse who meets the requirements to be granted authorization as a volunteer retired nurse may use the following titles as specified in the NPA Section 301.261(e) and Rule 217.9(b):
- Volunteer Retired Vocational Nurse (VR-VN);
- Volunteer Retired Registered Nurse (VR-RN);
- Volunteer Retired Registered Nurse, with qualifications in a given advanced practice nurse role and specialty (ex: VR-RN, FNP)
If a nurse's license has been on inactive/retired status more than 4 years, would the nurse have to take a refresher course to obtain volunteer retired nurse authorization?
Since volunteer retired nurse (VRN) status is not a "license" to practice nursing, a refresher course is not required; however, depending upon the specific nursing services that the VRN intends to provide, continuing education and/or a precepted clinical may be prudent to assure the VRN delivers care in a safe manner. In addition, an advanced practice nurse with VR-RN status may need to limit the level of care provided if he/she has been out of the advanced practice role/specialty for four (4) or more years.
Will I still receive the Texas Nursing Bulletin (the Board's quarterly newsletter) if I am authorized as a volunteer retired nurse?
No. Copies of the Texas Nursing Bulletin are only mailed to nurses who maintain an active license; however, you may subscribe to receive copies of the quarterly newsletter for $10/year. To subscribe, print a publications order form from BON web page, http://www.bon.state.tx.us/about/pdfs/pub-form.pdf.
Will I be subject to criminal background checks and FBI fingerprinting as a volunteer retired nurse?
Since "volunteer retired nurse" is considered an inactive licensure status, the Board does not plan to seek criminal background checks on any nurse whose license is inactive.
Will I receive notice that my volunteer retired nurse status is about to expire?
Yes. Authorization as a volunteer retired nurse is valid for the same two-year interval as an active nursing license. For example, a nurse born in May of an even-numbered year (1948, 1952, etc.) would have to renew his/her authorization every even-numbered year by the end of May. A nurse born in an odd-numbered year would renew his/her authorization every odd-numbered year by the end of the nurse's birth month.
If a nurse should fail to renew his/her volunteer retired nurse (VRN) authorization prior to the expiration date, the nurse's status will revert to "inactive." If the nurse then wishes to reinstate his/her VRN status, the nurse would be required to send in proof of 10 hours of CE credit [VR-RN with APN status must complete 20 hours of CE/2-year renewal period] within the previous 2-year period, along with the completed application http://www.bon.state.tx.us/olv/pdfs/vr-renewal.pdf and the $10 fee.
To what extent can an advanced practice nurse engage in his/her advanced role and specialty with only a volunteer retired nurse authorization?
Some restrictions are evident in the rules. For example, Rule 221.4(a)(1) requires that a person possess a "valid, current, unencumbered license as a registered nurse..." in order to seek or retain authorization as an advanced practice nurse. Rule 221.9(b) further states that, "...the inactive advanced practice nurse may not utilize his/her limited prescriptive authority." These requirements are congruent with additional requirements in §222.5 and §222.6 relating to active licensure and advanced practice authorization requirements for prescribing either dangerous drugs or controlled substances. Laws outside of the jurisdiction of the BON also preclude non-licensed practitioners from prescribing either dangerous or controlled substances [Texas Controlled Substances Act, §481.002(39)(D) and §483.001(12)(D) {definition of practitioner}].
As an additional clarification, an advanced practice nurse who has authorization as a volunteer retired nurse does not have to have 400 hours of active practice per biennium, nor does the APN have to maintain national certification in his/her advanced practice role and specialty.
The responsibility and accountability would remain with the volunteer retired APN to practice within his/her current competencies, recognizing limitations that may relate to lack of current knowledge/skill of the standard of care for a given medical condition, as well as inability to use prescriptive authority to prescribe medcations. Factors such as the amount of ongoing volunteer practice, continuing education in the advanced practice role/specialty, and time out of active/full-time practice would need to be considered by the volunteer retired APN in determining to what extent he/she should limit his/her practice.
I plan to retire in 6 months and will be relocating out-of-state. Can I apply for volunteer retired nurse status if Texas will no longer be my primary state of residence?
No. Volunteer retired nurse status can only be conferred upon a retired nurse who is able to claim Texas as his/her primary state of residence. This is stated in the Rule 217.9(d)(1)(B). The authorization is applicable to practice in the State of Texas. The authorization does not grant a multi-state privilege to practice in compact states.
How can I verify if a nurse has current authorization as a volunteer retired nurse?
Current authorization as a volunteer retired nurse may be verified through the BON online verification system using either the nurse's social security number or previous nursing license number. A nurse holding current authorization as a volunteer retired nurse will have an indicator to that effect in the license "status" section.