COVID-19 News Headlines
News headlines are flooded with article upon article dealing with the pandemic of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). Nurses and healthcare workers are at the forefront of this once-in-a-lifetime situation. It is easy to become overwhelmed about where to find the most current information and who to trust.
The Iowa Board of Nursing encourages all nurses to refer to the page established by the Iowa Department of Public Health on the topic of COVID-19. The site provides current statistics being tracked in the state, proper preparations for the illness, fact sheets and guidance for various entities, and all of the press release regarding the topic. The site may be found here.
The Board's website has been updated with a page that also directs the readers to the IDPH site. The link for that page may be found here.
CDC COVID-19 Resources
The CDC is the other recommended source for COVID-19 information and facts. The CDC site is updated regularly at noon, Mondays through Fridays. Information on the CDC site is presented from a national level and includes facts, maps to show the spread of the disease, testing and a summary of the situation. See the CDC website by clicking the link here.
You may sign up for updates about COVID-19 from the CDC by supplying your email on their site at this link.
Use of Inactive Nurses During the COVID-19 Pandemic
See the Governor's press release at the following link: State of Public Health Disaster Emergency
The Iowa Board of Nursing has communicated with healthcare agencies in the state with the following memorandum:
TO: Iowa Nursing Employers
FROM: Kathy Weinberg, Executive Director
DATE: March 19, 2020
SUBJECT: State of Public Health Disaster Emergency Proclamation
Governor Kim Reynolds issued a State of Public Health Disaster Emergency activating the public health response and recovery aspect of the State Disaster Emergency Plan effective at noon on March 17, 2020. The following section of the proclamation directly impacts nursing and nurses in Iowa.
SECTION TEN. Pursuant to Iowa Code § 29C.6 (6), I temporarily suspend the regulatory provisions of Iowa Code § 147.10 and Iowa Admin. Code rules 653-9.13(6) and 9.14, rules 655-3.7(5), rules 645-261.8, and rules 645-326.9(8), and all other implementing administrative rules which prohibit the practice of medicine and surgery, osteopathic medicine and surgery, nursing, respiratory care, and practice as a physician assistant, by a licensee whose license is inactive or lapsed. Suspension of these provisions is limited to licenses which have lapsed or expired within the five (5) years prior to this Proclamation and is further limited to the provision of medical and nursing care and treatment of victims of this public health disaster emergency and solely for the duration of this Proclamation.
Should your agency choose to utilize inactive nurses, please consider the following items:
- Verify the inactive license of the nurse by accessing IBON Online Services at this LINK. Note: This step will verify the nurse had an Iowa license at some time and it has been inactive less than five years.
- Check the IBON Online Services for any record of public discipline.
- Check the Abuse Registry for any record at this LINK.
- Check the Office of Inspector General Exclusionary List.
To clarify, this is for Iowa nurses who have been inactive for less than five years and is limited to the provision of nursing care and treatment of victims in this public health disaster emergency and solely for the duration of this Proclamation.
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