A hearing is set for bill S1804, The Health Care Professional Responsibility and Reporting Enhancement Act (aka Cullen Law).

The hearing which was requested by Senator Weinberg will be held on June 14, 2010 at 10 am at the Senate Health Committee meeting room 1 in the State House Annex. The hearing is for nurses to testify how the law as it is now has affected their license and careers.

We are looking for the support of NJNU nurses by attending this important hearing. If you are interested please contact the office at 973-992-6568 for further information. Below is a brief background of this bill.

In May 2005, bill S1804 know as The Health Care Professional Responsibility and Reporting Enhancement Act was signed into law. You can view this bill on the NJ State Legislature website at http://www.njleg.state.nj.us and using the Bill Search by putting in the following information: Bill number S1804 and the year 2005 to find the bill.

This bill came about as a result of a nurse named Charles Cullen who murdered up to 40 patients. This bill requires disclosure from health care professionals and/or medical facilities regarding the incompetence or negligence of healthcare provider. The criminal background check that is currently done was a result of this bill.

Currently, this law has been without regulations and there have been a vast number of reports to the Board of Nursing with devastating results that leave nurses fighting for their license and their jobs.

It requires healthcare professionals or entities to notify the division when they have information regarding the incompetence, impairment, or negligence of a healthcare worker who could endanger patients. It also mandates criminal background checks of healthcare professionals seeking licensure in New Jersey. The law was intended to prevent another case like that of Cullen, who kept getting hired at different hospitals during his 16-year career, despite a questionable employment record. He claims to have killed up to 40 patients.

We believe that there was a need for a law but because there are no regulations with it, nurses when terminated for whatever the reason, are reported. Hopefully Senator Weinberg will be able to establish a committee dedicated to establishing these regulations. It is vital that New Jersey nurses get involved in this.