This Bill

(a) changes the title of the Nursing Assistants Act to the Licensed Practical Nurses Act;

(b) further amends that Act by changing the designation "nursing assistant" to "practical nurse" and changing the designation "certified nursing assistant" to "licensed practical nurse";

(c) replaces the present registration system with a licensing system;

(d) changes the name of the Nova Scotia Certified Nursing Assistants Association to the Licensed Practical Nurses Association of Nova Scotia; and

(e) corrects a typographical error.

Be it enacted by the Governor and Assembly as follows:

1 The long title of Chapter 319 of the Revised Statutes, 1989, the Nursing Assistants Act, is amended by striking out "Registration of Nursing Assistants" in the third line and substituting "Licensing of Practical Nurses".

2 Section 1 of Chapter 319 is amended by striking out "Nursing Assistants" in the first line and substituting "Licensed Practical Nurses".

3 Section 2 of Chapter 319 is amended by

(a) striking out "nursing assistant" in the second line of clause (a) and substituting "practical nursing"; and

(b) striking out "registration" in the first line of clause (d) and substituting "licensing".

4 Section 3 of Chapter 319 is amended by

(a) striking out "Nova Scotia Certified Nursing Assistants Association" in the first and second lines of clause (a) and substituting "Licensed Practical Nurses Association of Nova Scotia";

(b) striking out "Board of Registration of Nursing Assistants contained" in the first and second lines of clause (b) and substituting "Practical Nurses Licensing Board";

(c) striking out clauses (c) and (d); and

(d) adding immediately after clause (f) the following clauses:

(fa) "licence" means a licence issued pursuant to this Act;

(fb) "licensed practical nurse" means a person who is licensed as a practical nurse pursuant to the regulations and is a member of the Association;

5 Subsection 7(1) of Chapter 319 is amended by adding "under the name Practical Nurses Licensing Board" immediately after "continued" in the third line.

6 Clause 8(1)(c) of Chapter 319 is amended by striking out "consulatation" in the first line and substituting "consultation".

7 Subsection 12(4) of Chapter 319 is amended by striking out "certified nursing assistant from registration" in the sixth and seventh lines and substituting "licence".

8 Section 18 of Chapter 319 is amended by

(a) striking out "registration" in the second line of clause (e) and substituting "licences"; and

(b) striking out "registration" in the first line of clause (f) and substituting "licensing".

9 Subsection 19(1) of Chapter 319 is amended by

(a) striking out "Certified Nursing Assistant" in the second and third lines and substituting "Licensed Practical Nurse"; and

(b) striking out "Nova Scotia Certified Nursing Assistants" in the last two lines.

10 Chapter 319 is further amended by

(a) striking out "nursing assistants" wherever that phrase appears in Chapter 319 and substituting in each case "practical nurses";

(b) striking out "nursing assistant" wherever that phrase appears in Chapter 319 and substituting in each case "practical nurse";

(c) striking out "certified nursing assistants" wherever that phrase appears in Chapter 319 and substituting in each case "licensed practical nurses";

(d) striking out "certified nursing assistant" wherever that phrase appears in Chapter 319, except where it appears for the second time in subsection 12(4), and substituting in each case "licensed practical nurse";

(e) striking out "registered" wherever that word appears in Chapter 319, except in clause 7(2)(c) and in Sections 9 and 14, and substituting in each case "licensed";

(f) striking out "registration" wherever that word appears in Chapter 319, except in subsection 12(4) and in clauses 18(e) and (f), and substituting in each case "licence";

(g) striking out "certificate of registration" wherever that phrase appears in Chapter 319 and substituting in each case "licence";

(h) striking out "certificates of registration" wherever that phrase appears in Chapter 319 and substituting in each case "licences"; and

(i) striking out "certificate" wherever that word appears in Chapter 319, except in subsection 19(2), and substituting "licence".

11 (1) The name of the Nova Scotia Certified Nursing Assistants Association is changed to the Licensed Practical Nurses Association of Nova Scotia.

(2) A reference in any enactment or any document to the Nova Scotia Certified Nursing Assistants Association shall, as regards any subsequent transaction, matter or thing, be read as a reference to the Licensed Practical Nurses Association of Nova Scotia.

(3) No rights, duties, obligations or liabilities of the Nova Scotia Certified Nursing Assistants Association are in any way affected by the change of name made by subsection (1) and those rights, duties, obligations and liabilities continue to be vested in and are binding upon it under the name "Licensed Practical Nurses Association of Nova Scotia".

12 (1) A reference in any enactment or any document to the Board of Registration of Nursing Assistants shall, as regards any subsequent transaction, matter or thing, be read as a reference to the Practical Nurses Licensing Board.

(2) No rights, duties, obligations or liabilities of the Board of Registration of Nursing Assistants are in any way affected by the change of name made by Section 5 and those rights, duties, obligations and liabilities continue to be vested in and are binding upon it under the name "Practical Nurses Licensing Board".

13 This Act comes into force on such day as the Governor in Council orders and declares by proclamation.