(a)
The Legislature recognizes that public health nursing is a service of crucial importance for the health, safety, and sanitation of the population in all of California’s communities. These services currently include, but are not limited to:
(1)
Control and prevention of communicable disease.
(2)
Promotion of maternal, child, and adolescent health.
(3)
Prevention of abuse and neglect of children, elders, and spouses.
(4)
Outreach screening, case management, resource coordination and assessment, and delivery and evaluation of care for individuals, families, and communities.
(b)
The Legislature also finds that conflicting definitions of “public health nurse” have been created by various state and local agencies within California. The Legislature also finds that the public is harmed by the conflicting usage of the title “public health nurse” and lack of consistency between the use of the term and the qualifications required in state law and in administrative regulations. Therefore, the Legislature finds that the public interest would be served by determining the conditions for the legitimate use by registered nurses of a title which includes the term “public health nurse.”
(c)
No individual shall hold himself or herself out as a public health nurse or use a title which includes the term “public health nurse” unless that individual is in possession of a valid California public health nurse certificate issued pursuant to this article.
(d)
No employer subject to regulation by Section 602 of the Health and Safety Code shall hold out any employee to be a public health nurse or grant a title to any employee including the term “public health nurse” unless that employee holds a valid California public health nurse certificate pursuant to this article.