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Iowa Board of Nursing - News You Can Use

February 25, 2021 - Vol. 2, Issue 2

nursing.iowa.gov

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News & Updates

Year of the Nurse and Midwife

Extended through 2021

The American Nurses Association (ANA) has joined with the World Health Organization (WHO) and global colleagues in extending the Year of the Nurse into 2021. "This recognition builds on the increased visibility of nurses’ contributions from 2020 and ANA’s expansion of National Nurses Week to Nurses Month in May" (https://anayearofthenurse.org/). Check out the ANA website for resources: Share your story, notes of gratitude, and follow the links for the available self-care webinars. 

The Iowa Board of Nursing and Staff acknowledges the hard work and sacrifices of all nurses in the past year and in the year ahead. Please take advantage of the self-care resources found on the ANA site and through the Board's own webpage at this LINK

 

ANA Logo on Year of the Nurse

Mandatory Reporter Class Update from the Department of Human Services (DHS)

The Iowa Board of Nursing has been informed about the DHS decision to allow additional providers to host the DHS Mandatory Reporter training on their learning management systems.  Each provider is required to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) contract with the DHS stating they may not change or alter the training in any way.

  • Providers who have signed MOU's at this time are:
    • Area Education Agency (AEA)
    • HealthcareSource HR, Inc.
    • VGM Group Inc.
    • Des Moines Police Department
    • Lutheran Services in Iowa
    • Four Oaks Family and Children’s Services
    • Iowa Veterans Home
    • Chesapeake Healthcare
  • The curriculum is exactly that which is offered by the DHS on their training platform. 
  • At this time, there is no change to the law that requires professional licensees to take the course from DHS. 
  • Eventually, the list of additional entities who will offer the mandatory reporter course should be listed on the DHS website. 
  • Licensees may check with their employer to see if they are a new host for the DHS mandatory reporter training. If the employer is not a host, nurses should take the training on the DHS website: https://dhs.iowa.gov/child-welfare/mandatoryreporter
  • The certificates of completion for the hosted classes will look identical to what DHS issues with the addition of the host’s MOU contract number and name on the certificate. Nurses may count the mandatory reporter class for 2.0 hours of nursing CE for the first time the class is taken. Renewal certificates, once they begin to be issued, will be worth 1.0 contact hour of nursing CE.     
  • If there are questions as to the validity of a certificate of completion, you may contact Roxanne Riesberg at DHS. 

If you have questions about the requirements for mandatory reporter training, please contact Laura Hudson, Associate Director of CE/Workforce, at laura.hudson@iowa.gov. 


New Workforce Initiative Launched! 

In support of efforts to recruit and retain nurses in Iowa and across the nation, the Iowa Online Nurse Residency Program (IONRP) has developed a 12 month program for nurses specifically starting their careers in long-term care settings. "Long-term care, assisted living, and home care agencies that aren’t able to build their own infrastructure for a nurse residency program or those with few new graduates may choose the online option for geriatric caregivers, which provides a comprehensive, turnkey residency program through the combination of online learning modules and monthly synchronous discussions via live webinars" (IONRP Program Brochure, 2021). Nurse residency programs have been found to help with the recruitment and retention of nurses in the workforce. Like no time in the past, new nurses in all healthcare settings will benefit from programs like the ones offered by the IONRP. 

More information about the curriculum can be found at the following link: https://nursing.uiowa.edu/IONRP/curriculum


Death, Through a Nurse's Eyes

Watch this powerful short film about what ICU nurses have been faced with throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. This story was filmed in Phoenix, Arizona. 

Thanks to the New York Times for sharing this opinion piece: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/24/opinion/covid-icu-nurses-arizona.html

Thanks to all of the amazing nurses who are on the front lines performing this work every day!

News to Know

Upcoming Board Meetings are listed on the Board's website

The next regularly scheduled Board Conference Call is March 17, 2021. Agendas (posted no later than 24 hours before a meeting) and approved minutes can be found at Board Meeting Records

Emergency Proclamations Continue - COVID-19 Page

The license relief emergency proclamation, among other extensions, set forth by Governor Kim Reynolds was continued on February 5, 2021, and now runs through March 7th. Click on the emergency proclamation link to see the Board's COVID-19 webpage.

The Board strongly encourages nurses to renew their licenses on time. 

Iowa Nurse Assistance Program

The Iowa Nurse Assistance Program (INAP) is offered by the Iowa Board of Nursing (IBON).  INAP is a resource for individual nurses who are impaired as a result of substance use or by any mental or physical condition. It is a voluntary, confidential program and provides an opportunity for licensed professionals to receive proper treatment and maintain their professional status, while protecting the safety of the public.

Contact Rhonda Ruby, Program Director by email:  rhonda.ruby@iowa.gov  or Michele Royer, INAP Case Manager at michele.royer@iowa.gov for assistance. 

The Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program deadline has been extended through March 18, 2021, at 6:30 P.M. CST. 

Don't miss this opportunity to have up to 85% of your nursing education debt paid off. In exchange, you will serve at least two years at a Critical Shortage Facility (CSF) or an eligible school of nursing.

Eligible disciplines include: registered nurses (RN), advanced practice registered nurses (APRN) and nurse faculty (NF).

You also must have received your nursing education from an accredited school of nursing in a U.S. state or territory.

See the HRSA News Announcement


News You Can Use is the official means of communication from the IBON to Iowa Nurses

News archives may be found at this LINK.


Nurse at a desk