top of page

Resources

Providing information for you

unnamed (12).jpg

Professional Resources for Nurses

  • The Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) website provides everything an RN needs regarding licensure, practice, nursing schools, Board meetings, and regulations and more.

  • The Nursing Practice Act (NPA) is the body of California law that mandates the Board to set out the scope of practice and responsibilities for RNs. The NPA is located in the California Business and Professions Code starting with Section 2700. Regulations which specify the implementation of the law appear in the California Code of Regulations.

  • Title 16. Professional and Vocational Regulations

  • Nursing practice information, advisories, and guidelines are provided by the BRN to ensure ongoing communication of competency standards to consumers, registered nurses, employers, educators, and other regulators. As the scope of registered nursing practice changes and grows, so does this information. You may wish to check back often for updates.

  • Advanced practice information, advisories, and guidelines are provided by the BRN to ensure ongoing communication of competency standards to consumers, advanced practice nurses (nurse practitioners, nurse-midwives, clinical nurse specialists, nurse anesthetists, and psychiatric/mental health nurses), employers, educators, and other regulators. As the scope of advanced practice nursing changes and grows, so does this information.

  • Title 22, California Code of Regulations provides information about nurse-to-patient ratios, licensing, and certification of health facilities, home health agencies, clinics, and referral agencies. Use the table of contents, bookmarks, or the search function (Ctrl-F) to find what you need. If Ctrl-F is used, a little window on the top right-hand side is displayed. Just enter a sentence or word and click the right arrow to search forward or the left arrow to search backward.

  • The California Department of Consumer Affairregulates all licensing boards in the state of California.

  • Interested in being an RN in Idaho or doing research about the Nursing Practice Florida?  The National Council of State Boards of Nursing provides information for all U.S. State Boards, including contact information for each State Board.

  • California Department of Public Health (CDPH) enforces Title 22, Nurse to Patient Ratios, and provides clinical, preventive, and outreach work; funding to external sources and funding we receive; training for consumers, business partners, and local health departments; and works with other governmental entities, professionals, and advisory boards.

  • The Joint Commission (JACHO) Accredits and certifies more than 19,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. Joint Commission accreditation and certification is recognized nationwide as a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to meeting certain performance standards.

  • Wage Order 5 regulates wages, hours, and working conditions.

  • The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing is California’s civil rights agency and the largest in the U.S. The Department takes in, investigates, conciliates, mediates, and prosecutes employment, housing, and public accommodation violations and hate violence under the Fair Employment and Housing Act, Disabled Persons Act, Unruh Civil Rights Act and Ralph Civil Rights Act. The Department issues regulations that implement interpret and make specific its procedures.

  • Find out about the different programs and services offered through the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS). Get help determining whether you and/or your family are eligible for services. Find out how a physician can enroll you, how to receive free screening and family planning. Get help for children in foster care, children with special medical conditions, and seniors needing personal care.

unnamed (6).jpg

Worker's Rights

Union Stewards:

​

Weingarten was a U.S. Supreme Court case that gave workers the right to have a steward present in some circumstances “when a supervisor asks for information that could be used as a basis for discipline.” It’s important to remind your members about their Weingarten rights now and then: Workers should always request a steward if a meeting could lead to discipline. The nurse should ALWAYS ask: “If this discussion could in any way lead to my being disciplined or terminated, or affect my personal working conditions, I respectfully request that my union representative be present.”

​

The National Labor Relations Act forbids employers from interfering with, restraining, or coercing employees in the exercise of rights relating to organizing, forming, joining or assisting a labor organization for collective bargaining purposes, or from working together to improve terms and conditions of employment, or refraining from any such activity. National Labor Relations Board.

unnamed (6).jpg
unnamed (7).jpg

Health & Safety

To find laws and regulations for California and nationally, here are links to California’s Codes of Law and Code of Regulation.

​

  • The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) Program is responsible for enforcing California laws and regulations pertaining to workplace safety and health and for providing assistance to employers and workers about workplace safety and health issues. The Cal/OSHA Enforcement Unit conducts inspections of California workplaces based on worker complaints, accident reports, and high hazard industries.

  • You may file complaint about a hazard in your workplace by calling the Cal/OSHA district office that serves the location of your job site, preferably during business hours. If you cannot call during business hours, you may also call during off hours. If you cannot call at all, you may e-mail your complaint to the respective district office.

  • DLSE adjudicates wage claims on behalf of workers who file claims for nonpayment of wages, overtime, or vacation pay, pursuant to California Labor Code sections 96 and 98. DLSE deputies hold informal conferences between employers and employees to resolve wage disputes. If a matter cannot be resolved at the informal conference, an administrative hearing is held to make a final determination on the matter.

  • Employees and applicants for employment in California have the right to exercise their labor rights without retaliation or discrimination. The Labor Commissioner’s Office enforces more than 45 labor laws that specifically prohibit discrimination and retaliation, including Equal Pay Act violations.

  • Every employee has a reasonable expectation to be safe at work. Effective July 1, 1991, every employer must establish, implement, and maintain an effective Injury and Illness Prevention Program.

  • Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Under the federal OSH Act, employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthful workplace. OSHA’s mission is to assure safe and healthful workplaces by setting and enforcing standards, and by providing training, outreach, education, and assistance. Employers must comply with all applicable OSHA standards.

  • California adopted a state ergonomic standard on November 14, 1996. The standard provides that when at least two employees performing identical tasks have been diagnosed by a physician with repetitive motion injuries (RMIs) within 12 consecutive months, the employer must establish a program.

  • The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) mission is to collaborate to create the expertise, information, and tools that people and communities need to protect their health – through health promotion, prevention of disease, injury and disability, and preparedness for new health threats.

  • National Institute for Occupational Safety (NIOSH) provides national and world leadership to prevent workplace illnesses and injuries. The mission of NIOSH is to generate new knowledge in the field of occupational safety and health and to transfer that knowledge into practice for the betterment of workers.

  • The Institute of Medicine (IOM) is an independent, nonprofit organization that works outside of government to provide unbiased and authoritative advice to decision makers and the public. The IOM asks and answers the nation’s most pressing questions about health and health care. Founded in 1970 as the Institute of Medicine (IOM), the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) is one of three academies that make up the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (the National Academies) in the United States. Operating under the 1863 Congressional charter of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academies are private, nonprofit institutions that work outside of government to provide objective advice on matters of science, technology, and health.

bottom of page