Vermont State Board of Nursing celebrates its centennial

The Vermont State Board of Nursing is celebrating its 100th anniversary this Monday, September 12, 2011. The first of several celebratory and educational events to be held around the state, this gathering will be from 2:30 PM ‘ 5:00 PM at the Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin, Vermont in Conference Rooms 1 & 2.
‘I am proud to say that our nursing workforce is comprised of dedicated, highly skilled professionals committed to meeting the high standards of excellence set by the Board of Nursing,’ said Secretary of State Jim Condos.
‘Professional Regulation has a long and important history in Vermont and has played a largely unseen, yet crucial role in Vermonter’s lives,’ continued Condos. ‘The Nursing Board has insured the quality by setting the professional standards for the increasingly advanced nursing care provided by Vermont nurses over the years.’
Anita Ristau, former Executive Director, will be the keynote speaker for this event and will share her important historical perspective. There will be a book signing for Voices of Vermont Nurses and Pat Allen, one of the book’s contributors, will attend with a display of nursing memorabilia.
‘I invite everyone to join us in recognizing 100 years of nursing regulation and public protection, in recognizing the Board as well as all of the dedicated nurses who contribute to the health and welfare of Vermonters,’ added Linda Davidson, the current Executive Director of the Board Nursing.
Visit the Board of Nursing’s website at www.vtprofessionals.org for information about regional events planned throughout the state this fall.
Vermont’s first ‘nurse registration law’ was passed in 1911, the fourth state to adopt such legislation. Since then, many professions have followed, creating licensing structures to ensure that the public is protected from incompetent or unethical practitioners.
Today, 45 professions and occupations are licensed, registered or certified through the Office of Professional Regulation, a division of the Secretary of State’s Office, with over 55,000 licenses issued.
Secretary of State 9.9.2011