Licensure by examination.

(1) Any person desiring to be licensed as a nursing home administrator shall apply to the department to take the licensure examination. The examination shall be given at least two times a year and shall include, but not be limited to, questions on the subjects of nursing home administration such as:

(a) Applicable standards of nursing home health and safety;

(b) Federal, state, and local health and safety laws and rules;

(c) General administration;

(d) Psychology of patient care;

(e) Principles of medical care;

(f) Personal and social care;

(g) Therapeutic and supportive care and services in long-term care;

(h) Departmental organization and management;

(i) Community interrelationships; and

(j) Terminology.

The board may, by rule, adopt use of a national examination in lieu of part or all of the examination required by this part.

(2) Applicants for licensure must also submit to background screening in accordance with s. 456.0135.

(3) The department shall examine each applicant who the board certifies has completed the application form, submitted to background screening, and remitted an examination fee set by the board not to exceed $250 and who:

(a)1. Holds a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university and majored in health care administration, health services administration, or an equivalent major, or has credit for at least 60 semester hours in subjects, as prescribed by rule of the board, which prepare the applicant for total management of a nursing home; and

2. Has fulfilled the requirements of a college-affiliated or university-affiliated internship in nursing home administration or of a 1,000-hour nursing home administrator-in-training program prescribed by the board; or

(b)1. Holds a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university; and

2.a. Has fulfilled the requirements of a 2,000-hour nursing home administrator-in-training program prescribed by the board; or

b. Has 1 year of management experience allowing for the application of executive duties and skills, including the staffing, budgeting, and directing of resident care, dietary, and bookkeeping departments within a skilled nursing facility, hospital, hospice, assisted living facility with a minimum of 60 licensed beds, or geriatric residential treatment program and, if such experience is not in a skilled nursing facility, has fulfilled the requirements of a 1,000-hour nursing home administrator-in-training program prescribed by the board.

(4) The department shall issue a license to practice nursing home administration to any applicant who successfully completes the examination in accordance with this section and otherwise meets the requirements of this part. The department shall not issue a license to any applicant who is under investigation in this state or another jurisdiction for an offense which would constitute a violation of s. 468.1745 or s. 468.1755. Upon completion of the investigation, the provisions of s. 468.1755 shall apply.

(5) The board may by rule establish a preceptor certification and recertification fee not to exceed $100 which shall be remitted by those individuals seeking board approval to act as preceptors in administrator-in-training programs as prescribed by the board. Said fee may be charged at the time of application for initial certification and at the time of application for recertification. The board may by rule establish a trainee application fee not to exceed $500 to defray the costs of the board’s supervision of the administrator-in-training program, to be remitted by those individuals seeking to undergo a board prescribed administrator-in-training program.