Board stipulations

If you are under stipulations by your Board of Nursing, here are some helpful hints for a Board Order/Stipulations/Restrictions:

-Make sure you understand what is being required of you. Read the Board's Order completely and ask questions as needed.

-Be sure that you comply in all aspects with the Order/Stipulations/Restrictions because the Board gets very angry with nurses that agree to certain stipulations or restrictions and then fails to adhere to those stipulations or restrictions.

-Keep a record of all conversations you have with the Board staff (name, date, time and exactly what was said). If the conversation was important, follow it up with a letter detailing your recollection and understanding of the conversation.

-When sending in any information or documents, send them by certified mail, return receipt requested so that you know when the Board receives it.

-If documents have to be filed with the Board by employers or supervisors, set up a way for your employer/supervisor to notify you when the report/document has been sent to the Board so that you can ensure that the report/documents are sent in timely.

-Set up a calendar system so that you can keep track of deadlines and submission requirements.

-If you are subject to drug screens, have a system (calendar, another person) to check that you called in as required each day. Also, be VERY CAREFUL with EVERYTHING that you put in your mouth because you could hurt your sobriety record.

-Do not wait until the last month to obtain any required courses. Many approved providers give a limited number of courses per year and so it is better to take any required courses immediately so that you do not miss out.

-Keep the Board informed of any changes in your address or phone numbers.

-Keep copies of all documents in an easily retrievable, organized manner.

A Fun Look at Nurses

Be sure and read the current article "What Makes Nurses Tick" in the December issue of Advance For Nurses. It is information about what nurses have stated that they like and think. I thought the answer to "What medical TV show do you most enjoy" was interesting. The number one answer was "House", followed by "Grey's Anatomy" and closely by "ER". So the top two answers are shows that rarely show nurses and that are full of inaccurate representations of the medical field (not to say that I don't watch these shows as well). My personal peeves are when it is always the physicians who are first at the bedside in a CODE, surgeons scrubbing without having their masks already on, and people stripping their dirty gloves off and throwing them all over the place (not to mention how they remove their gloves). Go read and have fun.

Stop Nursing Violence

This is such an important issue that I am posting it on each of my blogs. Go to my "A Nurse Attorney's Thoughts" to read my post on horizontal violence where I discuss "nurses eat their young."

Changes for the Texas BON

This was sent by the Board to the Workforce Commission:

BOARD OF NURSE EXAMINERS
Fiscal Year 2007-2011 Workforce Plan

D. Anticipated Changes to the Mission, Strategies and Goals over the
next Five Years
The BNE is currently under Sunset Review in this biennium. We anticipate
changes in our mission to include regulating Certified Nurse Aides. We also
anticipate moving towards a “semi-independent” agency status. We see
changes in how we approve nursing schools by increased reliance on outside
accrediting entities. We have implemented some strategies to go “paperless” by
using available technology and plan to implement additional strategies in the
future. We anticipate the continuing education process to evolve into a
continued competency model to include portfolios and practice targeted
requirements.


I do not know what "semi-independent" agency status means, but I thought it was interesting that there is a plan to regulate CNAs. I am worried about the continuing education plans because I have heard complaints from nurses in other states that have practice requirements. I do not know what "portfolios" means.

What do you think?