Wyoming Nurse Edition 21 : Page 3

Summer 2010 Vol. 6 Number 2 EDitor Mary Kay Goetter AssistAnt EDitor Patti Gardner Published by the Wyoming State Board of Nursing 1810 Pioneer Ave. Cheyenne, Wyoming 82002 Phone: 307-777-7601 Fax: 307-777-3519 Web Address: http://nursing.state.wy.us Agency Mission: The Wyoming State Board of Nursing is responsible for the protection of the public’s health, welfare, and safety through the regulation of nursing, nursing education, nursing practice, and disciplinary standards. The responsibility of the Board of Nursing is to implement a cost-effective and effi-cient system of regulation, which meets the consumer demand for safe, competent, ethical practitioners of nursing which includes advanced practice nurses, regis-tered professional nurses, licensed practical nurses, and certified nursing assistants. Mary Kay Goetter, Ph.D, RNC, NEA-BC AssistAnt ExEcutivE DirEctor, ExEcutivE DirEctor PrActicE AnD EDucAtion consultAnt mPliAncE consultAnts Brenda Burnett, MSN, RN Gina Hallam, BSN, RN FinAnciAl AnD HumAn rEsourcEs oFFicEr Cindy Stillahn ExEcutivE AssistAnt JoAnn Reid licEnsing coorDinAtor LaVelle Ojeda licEnsing coorDinAtor Maxine Hernandez DisciPlinAry AssistAnt Debra Ball Nella Martinez BoArD oF nursing mEmBErs Kellie Clausen, FNP, WHCNP, RN President Tracy Wasserburger, RN-C, APRN, NNP-BC Vice President Marguerite Herman Lee Carruthers, RN--RN Kim Williamson, LPN Marcie Burr, RN, HSA, CCHP Carrie Deselms, APRN, FNP-BC Consumer Secretary Representative Member Member Member Wyoming Nurse Reporter does not necessarily endorse advertisements contained herein. The publisher reserves the right to accept or reject advertisements for Wyoming Nurse Reporter. FOR AdvERTising inFORmATiOn: victor Horne vhorne@pcipublishing.com 501.221.9986 or 800.561.4686 ext. 114 CREATEd By: Publishing Concepts, inc. Virginia Robertson, Publisher vrobertson@pcipublishing.com ThinkNurse.com Publishing Concepts, Inc. 14109 Taylor Loop Road Little Rock, AR 72223 E di T iOn 21 Wyoming Nurse t a b l e o f C o n t e n t S 3 Editorial 4 President’s Message 5 Letters to The Editor 6 Overview of 2010 Legislative Changes to the Wyoming Nurse Practice Act and Recent and Current Rule Promulgation 8 Professional Development: Streamlining Access to Higher Education for Registered Nurses 9 Professional Boundaries: A Guide to the Importance of Appropriate Professional Boundaries 10 Summary Suspension: Everything You Hoped You Would Not Need to Know 12 The NCSBN Board of Directors Voted to Raise the Passing Standard for the NCLEX-RN® Examination at its Meeting on Dec. 10, 2009 12 What is the Confusion? I AM a Clinical Nurse Specialist! 13 Empowering the LPN: The Practical Nurse Practice Council 14 Breast Health Navigation 16 American Nurses Association American Nurses Advocacy Institute (ANAI) 19 Getting to Know Wyoming Nurses 21 Nurses Bring Medical Training to a Country That Has Suffered 24 Practice Questions 26 Do You Have What it Takes to Renew Your License or Certificate? 27 Reminder 28 Wyoming State Board of Nursing Conducts Audit of Continuing Education 30 Disciplinary Actions Greetings contacted by a nurse who was diligently working to put together a nursing education module for registered nurses (RNs) that would have provided interested nurses an additional certification and brought a needed service to Wyoming citizens. She wanted the Board to help her in the grant application process so that she could procure state funding. However, WSBN had recently affirmed that all Board resources needed to be directly focused toward support of the mission of Continued on next page “serving and safeguarding the people of Wyoming through the regulation of nursing education and practice” REPORTER From Mary Kay Goetter Executive Director Wyoming State Board of Nursing as Regulatory Agency A few months back, I was public protection; activities that were only peripherally related would be discontinued. This was necessary to adequately address the critical regulatory functions that were top priority. The caller was very unhappy when I explained the Board’s position; “I don’t understand that at all! Aren’t you supposed to be in charge of educating nurses? Aren’t continuing education and certification the whole purpose for the Board of Nursing?” I was able to explain that the Board regulated entry level nursing programs, and that while we certainly valued continuing education and certification, no, the whole purpose of the Board of Nursing was not to promote specific certification and continuing education programs. We were able to come to an understanding, and both of us left the conversation having a better appreciation of the issues. Just this past week, I received a complaint that was addressed to the “Wyoming Nurses Association.” A recent conversation with a hospital Wyoming nurSe reporter 3

Editorial

From Mary Kay Goetter Executive Director Wyoming State Board of Nursing as Regulatory Agency A few months back, I was contacted by a nurse who was diligently working to put together a nursing education module for registered nurses (RNs) that would have provided interested nurses an additional certification and brought a needed service to Wyoming citizens. She wanted the Board to help her in the grant application process so that she could procure state funding. However, WSBN had recently affirmed that all Board resources needed to be directly focused toward support of the mission of public protection; activities that were only peripherally related would be discontinued. This was necessary to adequately address the critical regulatory functions that were top priority. The caller was very unhappy when I explained the Board’s position; “I don’t understand that at all! Aren’t you supposed to be in charge of educating nurses? Aren’t continuing education and certification the whole purpose for the Board of Nursing?” I was able to explain that the Board regulated entry level nursing programs, and that while we certainly valued continuing education and certification, no, the whole purpose of the Board of Nursing was not to promote specific certification and continuing education programs. We were able to come to an understanding, and both of us left the conversation having a better appreciation of the issues. Just this past week, I received a complaint that was addressed to the “Wyoming Nurses Association.” A recent conversation with a hospital Administrator also included his reference to the Board as the “Wyoming Nurses Association” (WNA). In fact, it is a regular occurrence that members of the public, administrators, and nurses themselves confuse the Board with the WNA. In her response to a complaint against her, a certified nursing assistant (CNA) wrote, “I thought the Board of Nursing was there to watch out for us and protect our interests!” These misperceptions illustrate a common, but very concerning, problem that the Board encounters; people persist in misunderstanding the purpose of a regulatory board as opposed to a professional organization. WNA (as well as other professional nursing organizations) exists to represent the profession of nursing and assure that the views, voice and concerns of nurses are heard at the state and national level. Membership in professional organizations is key to promoting the interests of the profession; these organizations place the vital input of nurses directly into the ears of legislators. Legislative changes at national and state levels are responsible for increased funding for nursing education, improved nurse-patient ratios, ergonomic initiatives in the workplace, and multiple nurse-driven patient safety programs. Professional nursing organizations serve a critical role in sustaining the profession of nursing; in fact, Standard 15 of the Scope and Standards of Practice states, “The registered nurse provides leadership in the professional practice setting and the profession … promotes advancement of the profession through participation in professional organizations” (American Nurses Association, 2004, p. 44). Unquestionably, membership in WNA and other professional organizations is valued and encouraged. But the distinction between a professional organization and a regulatory board must be emphasized and educated on a regular basis. For that reason, this issue of WNR is devoted to regulation. The Wyoming State Board of Nursing (WSBN) is first and foremost a regulatory agency. We are an agency of state government that exists solely to protect the public. We do that through the regulation of nursing education and practice. The key departments of WSBN are as follows: Licensing (issuance and renewal of licenses for CNAs, LPNs, Rns and APRNs); Compliance (collection and review of all documents from applicants who have a positive criminal or mental health background to determine suitability for certification/licensure); Discipline (investigation and resolution of complaints against certificate holders/licensees); Practice and Education (research on all relevant areas of nursing practice and review and assurance of compliance for all pre-licensure nursing education programs); and Fiscal (collection of all fees and budget management). Committees, comprised of Board members and Board staff, include Application Review, Disciplinary, Practice, Education, and Legislative. Board members are appointed by the governor for three year terms. The Board includes representatives from nursing practice in the following areas: advanced practice (1), administration (1), nursing education (1), RN (2), and LPN (1). Additionally, there is one consumer member who represents the public. We are extremely fortunate to have a fully staffed Board at present but cannot maintain that without a regular pool of qualified applicants from which the governor can choose. Applications for Board positions are accepted at any time; to learn more and/or submit an application, visit the Web site http://governor.wy..gov/boards-and-commissions. html. Amongst other state boards of nursing, Wyoming is in an enviable position. We are a self-sustaining Board, which means that we operate solely on licensure fees and are independent of the state general funds. Many other boards of nursing throughout the country have experienced drastic budget cuts, including mandatory furlough days and serious service reductions. Boards in many other states share investigators with multiple regulatory agencies, resulting in disciplinary investigations being conducted by non-nurses. Some states, such as New York, regulate nursing education through the Education Board, again resulting in regulation of nursing education by non-nurses. Colorado and Wisconsin are just two states of many who regulate nursing through what is known as an “umbrella board,” lumping nursing regulation into a pool of other professional and vocational occupations alike. The hallmark of a profession is the ability to regulate itself. Wyoming nurses are exceptionally fortunate to be truly self-regulated. I am very grateful to be able to serve in the capacity of executive director for your Wyoming State Board of Nursing. I thank each one of you for serving Wyoming and the nursing profession in your own unique way. American Nurses Association. (2004). Nursing: Scope and standards of practice. Washington DC: nursebooks.org.

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