CONFIDENTIALITY OF PEER REVIEW PROCEEDINGS.

(a) Except as otherwise provided by this chapter, a nursing peer review committee proceeding is confidential and any communication made to a nursing peer review committee is privileged.

(b) A member, agent, or employee of a nursing peer review committee or a participant in a proceeding before the committee may not disclose or be required to disclose a communication made to the committee or a record or proceeding of the committee.

(c) A person who attends a nursing peer review committee proceeding may not disclose or be required to disclose:

(1) information acquired in connection with the proceeding; or

(2) an opinion, recommendation, or evaluation of the committee or a committee member.

(d) A nursing peer review committee member and a person who provides information to the committee may not be questioned about:

(1) the person's testimony before the committee; or

(2) an opinion formed as a result of the committee proceedings.

(e) Except as permitted by this chapter, information that is confidential under this section:

(1) is not subject to subpoena or discovery in any civil matter;

(2) is not admissible as evidence in a judicial or administrative proceeding; and

(3) may not be introduced into evidence in a nursing liability suit arising out of the provision of or a failure to provide nursing services.

(f) If a peer review committee determines that a nurse has not engaged in conduct required to be reported to the nurse's licensing board, a member of the peer review committee whose knowledge of the nurse's conduct was acquired only through the peer review may not report that nurse to the licensing board for that conduct. A committee member is not prohibited from reporting:

(1) the nurse, if the member has knowledge of the nurse's conduct independently of peer review; or

(2) the peer review committee to the licensing board, if the member believes the committee made its determination in bad faith.