Section 28. Qualifications of Nursing Service Administrators. —

A person occupying supervisory or managerial positions requiring knowledge of nursing must:

1. Be a Filipino citizen or a former Filipino citizen who was has officially declared his/her intention to reacquire Filipino citizenship;

2. Be a registered nurse in the Philippines;

3. Be a member in good standing of the accredited national organization of nurses;

4. Have at least two (2) years experience in general nursing service administration; and

5. Possess a degree of Bachelor of Science in Nursing, with at least nine (9) units in management courses at the graduate level.

Provided, That a person occupying the position of chief nurse or director of nursing service shall, in addition to the foregoing qualifications, possess:

1. At least five (5) years of experience in a supervisory or managerial position in nursing; and

2. A master's degree major in nursing service administration or its equivalent: Provided however, That those occupying such position before the effectivity of this Act shall be given a period of five (5) years from the date of effectivity of this Act within which to qualify: Provided, further, That, by the year 2000, only holders of a master's degree major in nursing administration shall be appointed to such position: Provided finally, That, for hospitals with bed capacity of fifty (50) and below, the minimum academic qualifications and experiences for a chief nurse shall be as specified under subsections (c), (d) and (e) of this section.