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HB 237FLORIDA · STATEWIDESession 2026dead

Rules for Using 'Doctor' Titles in Nursing

Original title: Use of Professional Nursing Titles

March 13, 2026

Companion · SB 36same policy, Senate version
nursingprofessional licensinghealthcare regulationtitles

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The Frame

What this does

The bill aimed to standardize how nurses with advanced degrees identify themselves to patients, ensuring that the use of the 'doctor' title in clinical environments is accompanied by a clear professional designation.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Licensed nurses with doctoral degrees

The bill would have established specific legal permissions and requirements for how these individuals use professional titles.

Patients in clinical settings

Patients would have been provided with clearer professional identification from nurses using doctoral titles.

What changed

Last recorded activity March 13, 2026.

What's next

Introduced.

Summary

This bill would have allowed licensed nurses with doctoral degrees to use the titles 'Doctor of Nursing Practice' () or 'Doctor of Philosophy' (). It also would have required these nurses to clearly state their profession if they used the title 'doctor' while working in a .

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

Would this bill have allowed all nurses to call themselves 'doctor'?
No, only nurses who hold a doctoral degree would have been authorized to use the titles 'Doctor of Nursing Practice' or 'Doctor of Philosophy'.
What would have been required if a nurse used the title 'doctor' in a clinic?
They would have been required to clearly specify their profession to avoid confusion.

Why It Matters

The bill aimed to standardize how nurses with advanced degrees identify themselves to patients, ensuring that the use of the 'doctor' title in clinical environments is accompanied by a clear professional designation.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Voting Record

Motion succeededlower2/4/2026openstates_bulkOfficial roll call ↗

Passage, Third Reading

Total

117

Yes

111

No

0

Present

0

Not Voting

6

Abstain

0

Motion succeededlower1/27/2026openstates_bulkOfficial roll call ↗

Favorable (Health & Human Services Committee)

Total

26

Yes

25

No

0

Present

0

Not Voting

1

Abstain

0

Motion succeededlower1/14/2026openstates_bulkOfficial roll call ↗

Favorable With Committee Substitute (Health Professions & Programs Subcommittee)

Total

18

Yes

18

No

0

Present

0

Not Voting

0

Abstain

0

Full roll-call analysis →

Sponsors

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Standardization of Clinical Titles

The bill represents an attempt to codify professional identification standards for nurses with advanced degrees in clinical environments.

Florida Legislature

Connected Entities

organizationHealth & Human Services CommitteeMap →
organizationFlorida LegislatureMap →
organizationHealth Professions & Programs SubcommitteeMap →

Sources

Open source document

openstates.org

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance40
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy20
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz10
    Current news / social attention level

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