655—3.6 (17A,147,152,272C) Special licensure for those licensed in another country. A special license may be granted by the board on an individual basis to allow a nurse licensed in another country who is not eligible for endorsement to practice nursing in Iowa for a fixed period of time under certain conditions. Special licensure shall allow the nurse to provide care in a specialty area, provide consultation or teaching where care is directed, serve as a research or teaching assistant, or obtain clinically based continuing education.
	  1. 	 Upon request, the board shall provide application materials to the applicant or sponsor.
	  2. 	 The applicant shall provide identifying information, history of felony conviction, history of licensure in another jurisdiction, and reason for special licensure.
	  3. 	 The applicant shall complete the application, submit a fee as identified in rule 3.1(17A,147,152,272C) and provide evidence of certification by the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS), or a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of at least 500 for the paper-based TOEFL or 173 for the computer-based TOEFL.
	  4. 	 Board staff shall determine the validity of the request based on the need, duration and location of special licensure identified on the application, and staff shall notify the applicant of ineligibility for special licensure if the application is incomplete, or demonstrates a felony conviction, or evidence of licensure in another jurisdiction.
	  5. 	 The board shall grant special licensure to eligible applicants. The license shall be identified as a special license and identify duration and conditions as designated in this rule. The period of special licensure shall be determined by the board and may be extended at the request of the applicant.
	  6. 	 If the board denies special licensure, the individual may be eligible for licensure by examination in accord with subrule 3.4(4).
	  7. 	 The licensee shall be subject to all rules and regulations promulgated by the board except those pertaining to verification, renewal, late renewal, inactivation, reactivation and continuing education requirements.
This rule is intended to implement Iowa Code section 147.2.