Laws Affecting the Practice of Nursing in the Philippines RA 673 Code of Conduct RA 1080 Civil Service Act : Those

who pass the bar and board examinations are declared to be civil service eligible RA 2382 Philippine Medical Act RA 2808 (March 1, 1919) First true nursing law RA 3573 (1929) Report of communicable diseases: All communicable diseases should be reported to nearest health station RA 3720 (June 22, 1963) Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act RA 4226 (June 19, 1965) Hospital Licensure Act RA 5181 Permanent residence and reciprocity as qualifications for any examination or registration for the practice of any profession in the Philippines RA 5901 Nurses working in 100-bed capacity or above and are working in an area of 1 million population are supposed to work only 40 hours a week RA 6425 (March 30, 1972) Dangerous Drugs Act (old) RA 6675 Generics Act of 1988 RA 7160 Local Government Code RA 7170 Organ Donation Act of 1999 RA 7600 Rooming-in and Breastfeeding Act RA 7610 Act Against Child Abuse, Neglect, Exploitation RA 7719 National Blood Services Act RA 7877 Anti-Sexual Harassment Act RA 9003 Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 RA 9165 Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act RA 9173 Philippine Nursing Act 0f 2002 RA 9257 Expanded Senior Citizens Act RA 9288 Newborn Screening Act of 2004 Presidential Decrees PD 166 Amended PD 791 Strengthens family planning programs though participation of private organizations and individuals PD 442 Labor Code of the Philippines PD 651 Registration of birth of a child within 30 days with the Civil Registrar PD 825 Waste Disposal Code PD 856 Sanitation Code PD 996 Expanded Profram on Immunization Executive Orders EO 51 Milk Code EO 209 Family Code of the Philippines Letter of Instructions LOI 949 Primary Health Care: In lined with Alma Ata WHO Convention USSR on September 6-12, 1978 Project EntrepreNurse Saving Lives. Creating Jobs. Adding Value An initiative of DOLE, in collaboration with BON-PRC, DOH, PNA, UPCN, OHNAP and other government and nongovernment entities, and academic institutions to promote nurse entrepreneurship in the Philippines: 1. To reduce the cost of health care for the countrys indigent population by bringing primary health care services to poor rural communities, 2. To maximize employment opportunities for the countrys unemployed nurses and 3. To utilize the countrys unemployed human resources for health for the delivery of public health services and the achievement of the countrys Millennium Development Goals on maternal and child health, consistent with the Fourmula One for Health framework of the Department of Health. FORMS OF NURSE ENTREPRENEURSHIP 1. Hospice, domiciliary and healthcare facility management 2. Public health advocacy 3. Home health care services 4. Outsourcing public health delivery for LGUs, NGAs, and

other government institutions 5. Medical transcription services 6. Health care training management 7. Emergency medical services 8. Tourism health care services 9. Wellness and fitness management for private companies 10. Outsourcing health services for private establishments per Labor Code requirement 11. Medical mission management for private companies and LGUs 12. Periodic physical examination of workers for private companies Legal Bases ARTICLE VI, RA 9173 Section 28. Scope of Nursing. - A person shall be deemed to be practicing nursing within the meaning of this Act when he/she singly or in collaboration with another, initiates and performs nursing services to individuals, families and communities in any health care setting. It includes, but not limited to, nursing care during conception, labor, delivery, infancy, childhood, toddler, preschool, school age, adolescence, adulthood, and old age. As independent practitioners, nurses are primarily responsible for the promotion of health and prevention of illness. Article V, RA 7164 Section 27. Scope of Nursing. - A person shall be deemed to be practicing nursing within the meaning of this Act when he/she, for a fee, salary or other reward or compensation, singly or in collaboration with another, initiates and performs nursing services to individuals, families and communities in various stages of development toward the promotion of health, prevention of illness, restoration of health, and alleviation of suffering. Rationale This initiative aims to achieve public health objectives and at the same time address the unemployment problem of licensed nurses in the country. The strategy is to encourage nurses to form cooperatives and manage nurses clinics, under the supervision of trained and experienced nurses IMPLEMENTING ENTITIES AND THEIR PRINCIPAL ROLES 1. Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Provide overall management and direction and provide financial assistance in the form of grants to nurses cooperatives which the latter will use as start-up capital. The DOLE through its regional offices shall also assist the nurses organize themselves into cooperatives or associations and register themselves with the appropriate government authority. 2. Department of Health (DOH) Lead in the formulation or reform of health policies in support of this initiative, including referring patients to the projects nurses cooperatives. 3. Philippine Health Corporation (PhilHealth) Upon approval of its Board of Directors, shall modify its rules to include home and rehabilitation services as part of its package of benefits for Philhealth members and pay for or reimburse home health care services of nurses cooperatives registered with the CDA under this Project. 4. Board of Nursing-Professional Regulation Commission (BON-PRC) Promote nurse entrepreneurship among the countrys nursing students and schools and research on the feasibility of including nurse entrepreneurship in the BSN curriculum; Design and implement an Enterprise Development Training Course for nurses cooperatives in partnership with the Cooperatives Development Authority. 5. University of the Philippines College of Nursing and Philippine Nurses Association (UPCN and PNA) Research and formulate costing standards that our nurses cooperatives can use as guide in fixing the cost of their services; formulate metrics in evaluating socio-economic impact of the project on public health in pilot communities and conduct evaluation using the same metrics. 6. Philippine Nurses Association (PNA) Shall promote the concept of nurse entrepreneurship among its chapters and members and help obtain funding grants from abroad, particularly its overseas chapters. 7. Occupational Health Nurses Association of the Philippines (OHNAP) Refer qualified patients from their company-based clinics to the projects nurses cooperatives; and train nurse cooperative members on basic occupational safety and health

for nurses 8. Cooperatives Development Authority (CDA) Shall register nurses cooperatives and train them on cooperativism. 9. Insurance Commission (IC) Shall promote the Project among HMOs to include home health care as part of its package of benefits for their HMO member. 10. LGUs and other sponsoring agencies or organizations Identify the barangays which are most in need of health care services and pay for the services of the projects nurses cooperatives on a per visit basis.