|
Electronic Social Media and Your Responsibility as a Nurse!!
Many of us are becoming more dependent on electronic social media during our daily routines. What does this mean to you in your professional careers? There is a very positive impact with social media resources in accessing information instantly, utilizing resources for patients and families and sharing this information for coordination of care with others. The problem exists when the use of this social media is shared without regard to patient confidentiality and without the intended outcome, whether intentional or unintentional. This is where your responsibility begins to assure you do not violate the Nurse Practice Act or HIPPA requirements.
Because of inappropriate use of social media, some nurses have lost their jobs, been disciplined by boards of nursing, highlighted in national media, a target of lawsuits, dismissed from nursing programs, and/or criminally charged. What do nurses need to know so that they can use social media, both personally and professionally, without worrying about repercussions? Always remember that electronic social media does not only occur in written posts but with photographs as well. Nurses should always be aware of agency policies and laws regarding acceptable use of social media. A nurse should never take photographs with a personal cell phone, even if this is for the assessment and evaluation of conditions and treatments.
There are many resources available for nurses to access in order to know the acceptable guidelines for using appropriate social media venues for the improvement of patient care and preventing violating confidentiality of patients, whether in posting information, accessing medical records, taking photographs, or any other form of sharing patient information. The American Nurses Association resource can be accessed at:
http://www.nursingworld.org/FunctionalMenuCategories/AboutANA/Social-Media/Social-Networking-Principles-Toolkit
and the National Council of State Boards of Nursing resource is available at:
https://www.ncsbn.org/Social_Media.pdf
With adequate knowledge and understanding of the appropriate use of electronic social media, nurses from students to senior leaders can participate in this electronic resource in order to improve communication, network, improve patient care and education, and involve themselves in life-long learning. Remember you are responsible for your practice and if you are not informed the time is now. Guidance is readily available; you just have to access it.
Congratulations to Gayle McNish as she retires after twenty-seven years of service to the citizens of Oklahoma as a state employee, with the last thirteen years with the Board of Nursing. Gayle’s knowledgeable, thoughtful approach to work is surely missed!
Gayle began employment with the Board of Nursing in October 1999, as the Associate Director for Nursing Education. Serving in this role, Gayle streamlined the Education Approval process and the NCLEX application process; developed and implemented the internal program for Advanced Unlicensed Assistant regulation as created in statute and rules; and participated in the National Council State Boards of Nursing committees related to nursing education and the NCLEX exam.
In 2004, with the agency’s internal organizational restructuring, Gayle was promoted to the Deputy Director position with oversight of the Licensure, Education, Practice, Records and Reception areas of the agency. Significant accomplishments while in the position included conversion to a new licensure data base; implementation of legislative mandates including tax commission compliance, immigration and licensure requirements; alignment of the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) statute and rules to the National Consensus Model (licensure, accreditation, certification and education of APRNs); development of performance indicators for the Regulatory Division; and working with state vendors in shifting all applications to an online electronic process.
Best wishes to Gayle as she retires. Her dedication and compassion to the mission and work of the Board of Nursing will be missed in the days ahead!
According to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), 68% of the Boards of Nursing under their jurisdiction conduct federal national background checks for exam applicants and 67% complete these checks for their endorsement applicants. As an example to show how effective such a background check is, NCSBN stated in a “Study by Texas Board of Nurse Examiners (2002-2006),.. the Texas Board of Nursing (TXBON)Data was collected before and after mandated CBCs, which were implemented in 2004. The TXBON found that CBCs effectively identified nurses with a positive criminal history that did not disclose this information on their application. Prior to enactment of CBCs, the TXBON identified 35 applicants who failed to disclose criminal background information on their applications. After instituting CBCs, the TXBON identified 262 applicants who failed to disclose a criminal history. In addition, there were a total of 330 nurses sanctioned by the TXBON for a positive criminal history in the two years prior to implementing CBCs and a total of 1,182 nurses sanctioned after implementing CBCs.”
By State law effective January 1, 2013, all new applicants for nursing licensure by exam and endorsement are required to submit fingerprints for a federal national criminal background check. Prior to January 1, a background check completed only through the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation was required.
As summer approaches, many nursing supervisors look forward to the opportunity to hire nursing graduates. The non-licensed graduate cannot be hired as a Graduate Nurse (G.N.) or Graduate Practical Nurse (G.P.N.). The terms “Graduate Nurse” or “Graduate Practical Nurse” are no longer recognized in law and should not be used by the graduate.
The non-licensed graduate cannot orient to the job description of the Registered Nurse/Licensed Practical Nurse, until licensure is obtained. However, it is possible to offer employment to the new graduate prior to receiving licensure. New graduates may be employed as non-licensed graduates, performing all duties of a nursing assistant as well as other technical skills that have been learned in their nursing education programs, and for which competency has been previously demonstrated under the supervision of a faculty member. Exceptions: They may not administer medications, perform assessments, act in a supervisory position, take verbal orders from the physician, or develop the plan of care.
A written job description for the Nurse Technician/Practical Nurse Technician must be developed by the employing facility and provided to the new graduate upon employment. A Registered Nurse is directly responsible at all times for the non-licensed graduates and must be physically present in the institution. Supervising nurses are responsible for appropriately delegating assignments to the new Nurse Technician/Practical Nurse Technician (non-licensed graduates). The Board’s Guidelines for employment of Nursing Students or Non-Licensed Graduates can be accessed from the Board’s website: http://www.ok.gov/nursing/ed-guide.pdf.
Reminder! Effective January 1, 2014, Registered Nurses and Licensed Practical Nurses licensed in the state of Oklahoma must meet continuing qualifications for practice. Meeting Requirements for Continuing Qualifications for Practice for License Renewals Guidelines were recently approved at the January 2013 Board meeting. The guideline includes the five options for meeting the continuing qualifications, guidelines for each option and documentation required should the licensee be selected for audit. The guideline can be accessed on the Board of Nursing website at http://www.ok.gov/nursing/cqlicenserenewal.pdf
If you suspected a colleague had a problem with alcohol or drugs, would you know how to help them? Many do not and so they do nothing. When that colleague is a nurse, it can impact the safety of patients as well as put their nursing license in jeopardy.
The Board of Nursing offers an opportunity for nurses who have abused alcohol or drugs to receive help. The Peer Assistance Program (“Program”) was established by statute (59 O.S. §567.17) in November 1994. The purpose of the Program is to assist in the rehabilitation of nurses who have abused alcohol or drugs. Nurses who choose to participate in the Program may avoid disciplinary action on their nursing license provided they maintain compliance with the requirements of the contract with the Program.
The Contract with the Program requires the nurse to maintain abstinence from drugs and alcohol, to submit to random body fluid testing on a regular basis, to receive treatment for the substance use disorder and to participate in ongoing recovery maintenance activities such as Nurse Support Group and 12-step meetings. While the nurse is establishing recovery from this illness, he/she will be required to refrain from nursing practice. Once a sustained period of ongoing recovery has been established, the nurse will be allowed to resume nursing practice under supervision. The length of time a nurse is required to continue in the Program varies from two (2) to five (5) years. The actual length of the Program will depend on the nurse meeting the Successful Completion Criteria of the Program.
Substance use disorders are chronic illnesses and potentially deadly ones. The interventions of the Program are aimed at providing external structure and accountability to a treatment plan, while the nurse establishes the ongoing, sustained remission of the illness. If you know a nurse who might have a problem with alcohol or drugs, please refer them to the Program. You just might save their life!
Peer Assistance Program (405) 525-2277
As the Oklahoma Board of Nursing continues in our efforts to become more environmentally and fiscally responsible, we are no longer ordering and disseminating the NCLEX Examination Candidate Bulletins and hard copy registration forms. All information provided in the Bulletin and registration form is fully contained in an online format at the National Council of State Boards of Nursing website at www.ncsbn.org under the NCLEX Examination tab at the top.
Nursing students who are near to graduation would benefit from reviewing closely the Candidate Bulletin on that website as proper registration is their responsibility. Schools that assist with registration and payment for their students would also benefit from reading the Bulletin and should take note of Third-Party Payments instructions.
In Calendar Year (CY) 2012, Oklahoma educated first-time candidates for Registered Nurse licensure achieved an overall 91.45% NCLEX-RN Pass Rate. This is a significant increase from the previous year, and the highest the pass rate achieved in the past ten years, ranging from 82.07% to 91.45%. The 91.45% pass rate is higher than the National NCLEX-RN pass rate of 90.34%, which is the second time that Oklahoma has achieved a pass rate that is above the national pass rate since CY 2006. Approximately 57% of all campuses in Oklahoma pre-licensure associate degree and baccalaureate degree nursing education programs achieved pass rates above the national average, and 7% of the programs had pass rates that were more than 10 percentage points lower than the national average. Oklahoma associate degree and baccalaureate degree programs ranked higher than 31 other states or jurisdictions on the NCLEX-RN exam in CY 2012. There were 2,175 first-time Oklahoma-educated RN candidates taking the NCLEX-RN exam in 2012, which is slightly lower than the record high reached in CY 2010.
In CY 2012, Oklahoma-educated first-time candidates for Licensed Practical Nurse licensure achieved an NCLEX-PN pass rate of 91.25%. Between CY 2003 and CY 2012, Oklahoma-educated first-time NCLEX-PN candidate averages ranked consistently above the national NCLEX-PN average. In CY 2012, approximately 78% of all campuses offering practical nursing education achieved pass rates above the national average, and 2% of the campuses averaged more than 10 percentage points lower than the national average. Oklahoma practical nursing programs ranked higher than 32 other states or jurisdictions on the NCLEX-PN exam in CY 2012. There were 1,154 first-time Oklahoma-educated PN candidates taking the NCLEX exam in CY 2012.
Oklahoma nursing education program NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN pass rate percentages per calendar year from 2003 through 2012 are available on the Board’s website.
NCLEX-RN pass rates may be accessed at http://www.ok.gov/nursing/nclexpass1.pdf.
NCLEX-PN pass rates may be accessed at http://www.ok.gov/nursing/nclexpass.pdf.
During the January 2013 Board meeting, Board members elected the following officers: Joni Jeter, RN, MS, President; Lauri Jones, RN, BSN, Vice-President; and Madonna Newcomer, RN, MS, Secretary. Terms of the newly elected officers began March 1, 2013. Other Board members include: Renee Collingwood, CFP, Public Member; Sandi Hinds, LPN, MBEC; Lynn Korvick, RN, PhD; Cori Loomis, JD, Public Member; April Merrill, APRN-CNS, DNP; Liz Michael, RN, MS; Marilyn Turvey, LPN, BS; and Jean Winter, LPN.
The following policies have been reviewed/approved and are available for review by hyperlink provided:
Approved Policies/Guidelines during the September 2012 Board Meeting:
Approval of Advanced Practice Educational Programs, #P-51
http://www.ok.gov/nursing/prac-aped.pdf
Exclusionary Formulary for Advanced Practice Nurses with Prescriptive Authority, #P-50B
http://www.ok.gov/nursing/prac-exclusfrm.pdf
Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) Certification Examinations Approved by the Oklahoma Board of Nursing, #P-52A
http://www.ok.gov/nursing/prac-natlcert.pdf
Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) Certification Examinations No Longer Approved by the Oklahoma Board of Nursing, #P-52B
http://www.ok.gov/nursing/prac-natlcert.pdf
Bylaws of the Advanced Practice Advisory Committee
Position Statement on Entry into Practice
http://www.ok.gov/nursing/entryintopractice.pdf
Delegation of Nursing Functions to Unlicensed Persons, #P-02
http://www.ok.gov/nursing/delegation.pdf
Advanced Unlicensed Assistive Personnel in Acute Healthcare Settings: Approved Training Program Curriculum, #E-44
[AUA information available on the Board website at: http://www.ok.gov/nursing/cert-auau.html]
Refresher Courses for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, #P-54
http://www.ok.gov/nursing/aprnrefresher.pdf
Complete September 2012 Board Meeting Minutes are available at: http://www.ok.gov/nursing/bdinsep12.pdf
Approved Policies/Guidelines during the November 2012 Board Meeting:
Establishment of Training Equivalency for Certification as an Advanced Unlicensed Assistant Policy, #E-41
Board Document Definition, #P-20
Special Reports from Nursing Education Programs to the Board Policy, #E-06
Rapid Sequence Intubation Guidelines – Medication Administration by Registered Nurses, #P-19
http://www.ok.gov/nursing/rapseqint.pdf
Complete November 2012 Board Meeting Minutes are available at: http://www.ok.gov/nursing/bdminnov12.pdf
Approved Policies/Guidelines during the January 2013 Board Meeting:
Information for Bulletins and Catalogues of Nursing Education Programs, #E-05
Nursing Practice Opinion Requests Procedure, #P-01
http://www.ok.gov/nursing/prac-bdopin.pdf
Issuance of Temporary Licenses for RNs and LPNs, #P-09
http://www.ok.gov/nursing/prac-templic.pdf
Meeting Requirement for Continuing Qualifications for Practice for License Renewal Guidelines, #P-23
http://www.ok.gov/nursing/cqlicenserenewal.pdf
Minutes for the January 2013 Board meeting will be available on the Board of Nursing website following the March 2013 Board Meeting at: http://www.ok.gov/nursing/board.html
FY 2012 Annual Report is available online at: http://www.ok.gov/nursing/anrep12.pdf
The annual report includes Board member and Board staff listings as well as statistical data for five (5) years, including fiscal year 2012 ending June 30, 2012.
Reminder for Change of Name
To change your name, you must complete the Name Change Request form. The form is available on the Board of Nursing website at: http://www.ok.gov/nursing/namechange.pdf
Reminder for Change of Address
Have you had a change of address? If so by law, you must notify the Board office in writing within 30 days of the change. You may submit a signed and dated statement with your license number or Social Security number, your full name, and your new address. Alternatively, you may complete your change of address on the Board’s website: https://www.ok.gov/nursing/renewal/login.php
Notice to Licensees Submitting Online Renewals
The Oklahoma Board of Nursing online renewal system provides a convenient way for you to submit your renewal. However, it is essential that you protect the security of your online information. Your PIN number, which is required for the renewal, should not be shared with anyone, not even with your spouse or support staff at your place of employment. Your responsibility to renew your license cannot be delegated to another person. You are the only person who can complete and submit the online renewal application!
To access the online renewal: https://www.ok.gov/nursing/renewal/index.php |
