Brief History of the Alabama Board of Nursing

Nurses tend to think of the Alabama Board of Nursing solely in terms of licensing, when a license is first obtained or when it’s renewed. It accepts applications and fees and issues wallet cards. But the Nursing Board is charged with much more than this.Nursing as a profession in Alabama came by way of migration from other states. In 1888, nurses trained in Philadelphia came to work in Birmingham and nursing as a formal discipline grew from there. It wasn’t until almost 30 years later that Alabama created a state regulatory board designed to protect the public from unqualified persons claiming the title.

As the practice of nursing has evolved over the years, the board has changed its membership to reflect emerging concerns. With the addition of 6 new positions in 1998, the board now consists of 13 members, including a consumer board member, two advanced practice nurses, and three members focused on nursing administration.Some of the lesser known responsibilities of the Alabama Board of Nursing are governing and regulating the practice of nursing – often by way of special rulings on scope of practice or educational requirements. These rulings, called Declaratory Rulings, clarify and provide guidance on specific nursing issues and circumstances.The Board also proposes new regulations in nursing, collects statistics and interacts with other government regulatory agencies, sets standards for training and certifies nursing programs. They approve Continuing Education and administer several nursing scholarships. The Board also handles complaints about nurses.