Wisconsin Board of Nursing Newsletter

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Board of Nursing Newsletter                                                                             June 2021

You are receiving this update as a licensee of the Wisconsin Board of Nursing and/or as a subscriber to this communication.

Note from the legal department: You probably noticed our newsletter title has changed. The Board is exploring some options for a new title and looks forward to bringing you an update soon. Until then, we hope you enjoy the newsletter.

Chair's Corner

By: Peter Kallio, DNP, CRNA, APNP    As the pandemic continues the new push is for us to reach herd immunity with vaccinations. You continue to be the heroes of this pandemic with direct care, vaccinating people, and the support roles that you provide our COVID patients. Your work in these unprecedented times is remarkable and I am extremely proud to be part of this profession.    The Board of Nursing has been busy as we continue working with DSPS and the governor to make sure that our own rules around the Nurse Practice act do not create barriers to our nurses and those that want to work in Wisconsin. We continue to be forward thinking and construct language with flexibility with advice of legal counsel and other agency staff in pursuit of changes to administrative rules. The goal is to be able to be nimble and responsive if we ever find ourselves in another state of emergency, and the process is slow and often frustrating as interests outside nursing push other agendas. We will always try to do what is in the best interest of the public from a safety and access perspective.    As the board moves forward in its duties, we are cognizant and working to make sure the LPN renewal cycle runs smoothly. We met with information technology staff to test the process and it appears to be working well. We are also happy to report that all schools of nursing met the threshold for NCLEX pass rate this last year. All schools were above the 80% pass rate for the first time in a while. This speaks to the quality of nursing education in the State of Wisconsin and all the educators in the state deserve a shout out. Schools were able to achieve this success even with the pandemic wreaking havoc on clinical practice requirements. Our rules change to allow for increased simulation helped and obviously did not negatively affect testing outcomes.    The Board of Nursing meetings are always open to the public and we value your input. Meeting information is available here: https://dsps.wi.gov/Pages/BoardsCouncils/Nursing/Meetings.aspx. We will continue to push for a social media presence to disseminate information in an up-to-date fashion. We are also looking at the long-term workforce predictions and how that may reflect care in the future, especially true in the rural areas of Wisconsin.    One duty that the Board of Nursing has is to protect the public in this state. Last newsletter, I talked about diversion and substance abuse as something that we address at every meeting. We continue to deal with these cases. We also continue to see many cases pertaining to patient safety. These cases may indicate nurses verbally and/or physically abusing patients. Obviously, a patient safety issue must not be taken lightly. We will move quickly to intervene and discipline nurses who are reported to us and investigated, while continuing to support them in their practice. Staying professional, good documentation, and good communication will often keep nurses out of trouble.  Remember that you must report any conviction to the Board of Nursing within 48 hours.    The Nurse Licensure Compact now has 34 states with more states in the legislative process. For more information you can go the NCSBN nurse compact website: https://www.ncsbn.org/nurse-licensure-compact.htm    I am proud to be working for all nurses in Wisconsin during this pandemic. While serving on this board I have been blessed to work with an amazing group of nurses, public members and DSPS staff. Their passion for our mission comes through in everything they do. I thank the board and the nurses of Wisconsin for your courage and work ethic as we continue to work through this pandemic. Please stay safe and please care for yourselves as well as your patients.

Board of Nursing Quick Links

Statute and Rules
BON Annual Reports
Agenda Materials/ Meeting Dates
Nursing School Information
BON Best Practices for Prescribing Controlled Substances Guidelines
Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) Website

Updates from NCSBN

By: Janice (Thompson) Edelstein, Registered Nurse Member http://www.ncsbn.org/ March 9-11 Mid- Year Meeting - Virtual Attendance    An overview of the various committees provided a brief update on committee progress. Each committee will present at the NLC virtual conference to be held May 5-June 9th.    Of particular interest, the Training and education committee developed a Travel nurse Tool kit and video. Reminder as to webinars offered are free. 2021 NCSBN Scientific Symposium- March 22, 2021 - Virtual Attendance    Some of the highlights: Information was provided in three areas of content. That of education, practice, and regulation. Being virtual one could float between sections of interest. Note that the studies presented were done prior to COVID. Presentation PowerPoints are posted on the NCSBN website.    One of the presentations provided an overview of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) encouraging all nurses to utilize the open access of over 20 million citations, PubMed Clinical queries, articles of science studies, and pre-print pilot studies prior to peer review process.    An update on status of simulation regulation was provided. A 2010 study on simulation looked at 3 groups- traditional, simulation at 25% and simulation at 50%. No significant difference was found in outcomes. With COVID, simulation usage was up by 50% supporting the need for additional adjunct faculty training, debriefing, and standard checklists. It was noted to add information on usage of simulation to program approval requests on regulatory documents.    Another point of interest was on the National Workforce Survey and Work Satisfaction and intent to Stay. LPNs are now included in the survey which will provide a better picture of the nursing workforce. The survey is looking for some form of standardization. Current information notes the median age of nurses in 52 years (65 Plus is noted at 20%), men 9.4%, increase in BSN 41.8% which is increasing, Diploma is decreasing.  Employment in hospitals continues to be the highest area of practice with 54.8% of those surveyed. With the large number of nurses at retirement it was noted there is a loss of experience. On the other hand, the current workforce is younger, diverse and has more education. The next survey will be in 2022. In a similar presentation the intent to stay in nursing was studied. It was noted that nurses want to practice at their full scope, have continuing education opportunities, positive work environment and an equitable salary. These factors impact the intent to stay in nursing. Things to come:    NCSBN 2020 report is now available. The 2020 Annual Report (https://www.ncsbn.org/15798.htm) follows NCSBN’s fiscal year spanning Oct. 1, 2019 to Sept. 30, 2020. Virtual NCLEX 2021 Conference:    This one-day, educational conference on Sept. 30 provides educators with Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) NCSBN Clinical Judgment Measurement Model (NCJMM) updates and techniques for applying the NCJMM in the classroom will be explored. (https://mailchi.mp/ncsbn/save-the-date-2021-virtual-nclex-conference?e=920d8e99ab)

Specialty Nursing Spotlight

By: Robert Weinman, RN, Health Services Manager

Nursing Specialty: Correctional Nursing

   Correctional Nursing cannot be defined like most other specialties in nursing. Nurses in this field must wear many hats. With one patient a nurse could be the educator, the next needs IV administration, the next requires emergency medical assessment and treatment, the next requires the use of psychiatric principles, the next patient needs an EKG done, the next needs spirometry testing, and the next and the next. The need for critical thinking, strong nursing skills, sound clinical decision making, and great assessment and triage in corrections are unmatched in most arenas. While completing these tasks, nurses must also meet the standard of care expected of all nurses. It does not matter where or with whom we practice our craft; the standards remain the same. Correctional Nurses can also achieve advanced certifications such as Correctional Care Health Professional (CCHP).

Favorite Aspect of the Nursing Specialty:

   My favorite aspect of Correctional Nursing is the ability to deliver care to patients who may not have seen a nurse or doctor since they were in elementary school. The population of incarcerated individuals is one of the most underserved in the United States. Given the historically limited medical contact of many of our patients, nurses have the immense ability and opportunity to affect someone through nursing care, education, treatment, and modeling prosocial behavior with the resulting changes.

Most challenging aspect of the Nursing Specialty:

   Establishing trust. This can be extremely challenging when working in a system where many of your patients feel the system/staff are working against them. Gaining patients’ trust and having them realize you are trying to do the right thing for them can be difficult and takes ample time and continuous effort.

Apply to Serve on the Wisconsin Board of Nursing

   The Board anticipates openings for one Registered Nurse Member, one Licensed Practical Nurse Member and one Public Member position, before or soon after July 1, 2021. Those interested in applying to serve on the Board can find information about appointment here, and apply to serve through the Governor’s Appointment Office here. Please be advised of the following statutory provisions impacting eligibility for appointment to the Board of Nursing.

Eligibility Requirements Impacting All Board Applicants:

   As outlined in s. 15.08(1), Wis. Stat., all members of the Board of Nursing shall be residents of this state. Furthermore, no member of an examining board may be an officer, director or employee of a private organization which promotes or furthers the profession or occupation.

Eligibility Requirements Impacting Public Member Applicants:

   Those applying to serve as a public member must meet the provisions outlined at ss. 15.08(1m)(am) and  15.08(1m)(b), Wis. Stats., please see the linked citations for more information.

Eligibility Requirements for Registered Nurse and/or Licensed Practical Nurse Member Applicants:

   Pursuant to requirements set forth in s. 15.405(7g), Wis. Stat., registered nurses or licensed practical nurses interested in serving as a professional member must be currently licensed as either a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse under ch. 441. Additionally, each registered nurse member shall have graduated from a program in professional nursing and each practical nurse member shall have graduated from a program in practical nursing accredited by the state in which the program was conducted.

Board of Nursing Membership

The Board of Nursing consists of 9 members. The members are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate.

Board Members:

Peter Kallio, Chairperson, Registered Nurse Member (Muskego)
Lisa Pisney, Vice Chairperson, Registered Nurse Member (Onalaska)
Rosemary Dolatowski, Secretary, Registered Nurse Member (Burlington)
Janice Edelstein, Registered Nurse Member (Omro)
Jennifer Eklof, Licensed Practical Nurse Member (Madison)
Christian Saldivar, Public Member (Milwaukee)
Luann Skarlupka, Public Member (De Pere)
Robert Weinman, Registered Nurse Member (Beaver Dam)
Emily Zentz, Registered Nurse Member (Madison)

Information on how to apply for appointment to the Wisconsin Board of Nursing can be found through the Office of the Governor using the link below: https://evers.wi.gov/Pages/Application_Process.aspx

IMPORTANT REMINDER: Pursuant to Wis. Stat. § 440.03(13)(am), and N7.03(1)(h), Wis. Admin. Code, it is a licensee's duty to notify the Board of Nursing of a felony or misdemeanor in writing within 48 hours after the entry of the judgment of conviction.

Enforcement Actions of the Board of Nursing

The Board of Nursing, with help from staff at the Department of Safety and Professional Services, can take action against nurses licensed in the state to help protect the profession and the citizens of Wisconsin. You may search for any of the Board Orders listed below on the Department’s website by using this link:

Board Order Search: https://dsps.wi.gov/Pages/SelfService/OrdersDisciplinaryActions.aspx

Disciplinary options available to the Board

Reprimand: A public warning of the licensee for a violation.

Limitation of License: Imposes conditions and requirements upon the licensee, imposes restrictions on the scope of practice, or both.

Suspension: Completely and absolutely withdraws and withholds for a period of time all rights, privileges and authority previously conferred by the credential.

Revocation: To completely and absolutely terminate the credential and all rights, privileges and authority previously conferred by the credential.

Non-disciplinary options available to the Board

Administrative Warning: Issued if violation is of a minor nature, a first occurrence and the warning will adequately protect the public. The issuance of an Administrative Warning is public information, however the reason for issuance is not.

Remedial Education Order: Issued when there is reason to believe that the deficiency can be corrected with remedial education, while sufficiently protecting the public.

Board Orders

February 2021-April 2021

A wealth of useful information is available on the Department of Safety and Professional Services website at: https://dsps.wi.gov/pages/Home.aspx

Do you have a change of name or address?

Licensees can update name or address information on the Department website at: https://dsps.wi.gov/Pages/SelfService/Default.aspx. Please note that confirmation of change is not automatically provided. Legal notices will be sent to a licensee’s address of record with the Department.

Telephone Directory:

Call the Department of Safety and Professional Services toll-free (877) 617-1565, or (608) 266-2112 in the Madison area to connect to the service you need.

CONTACT US

Email: dsps@wisconsin.gov  |  Phone: (608) 266-2112  |  Office Hours: 7:45 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.

The mission of the Department of Safety and Professional Services is to promote economic growth and stability while protecting the citizens of Wisconsin as designated by statute.