Nevada state board of nursing Catherine prato-lefkowitz phd, MSN, RN

Who is the nsbn? Board staff (las Vegas and reno) Board Members (appointed by the governor)

What is the purpose of the nsbn To protect the public The mission of the Nevada state board of nursing is to protect the public’s health, safety, and welfare through effective regulation of nursing To ensure nursing laws are followed by all nurses and cnas

How does the nsbn do this? Nevada nurse practice act What is this? Why do I need one? How do I get one?

Nevada nurse practice act Need to have one for the state in which you live and work Need to know the regulations and statutes related to nursing practice Need to know who to call, or where to look, with questions or concerns

Scope of practice All nurses need to know their scope of practice All nurses need to know their limitations All nurses need to know their skill, experience, and education level All nurses need to be accountable for their actions

license All nurses and cnas need to know what is expected in terms of renewal of licenses and the requirements Every two years on your birthdate Nsbn does not send out reminders 30 hours of ceus for rn (education can count for ceus) 24 hours ceu for cNA Renew online

E-notify How can I keep track of when my license will expire? E-notify On our website Sign-up is free Sends an email when you license is going to expire Keeps track of all of your licenses in all states

reporters Nurses are mandatory reporters of diversion, suspicion of diversion All nurses need to protect patients If you suspect, you need to notify supervisor

Chemical and alcohol abuse Nurses have stressful jobs! Nsbn supports nurses who struggle with addiction We have groups and meetings and follow-up for you Better to self-report than be reported by someone else!

marijuana Marijuana just passed as bring legal in Nevada Nurses can not be impaired at work If you are drug tested at work and it shows up positive on a drug screen you will be held accountable Alcohol is legal, but nurses can not drink alcohol and come to work Student nurses are not to give patients any marijuana cigarettes, gummy bears, lollipops, etc. because they do not receive the education, training, and competency testing to know how to administer marijuana

What if I want to get involved Attend a board meeting (every other month in las vegas and reno) Come see what is happening The dates and locations are on our website Nevadanursingboard.org

Then what? Attend a committee meeting Open to the public Education advisory committee meetings (eac) Certified nursing assistant meetings (cna) Bring your ideas and share your stories

Become active in organizations nsbn works with leaders of organizations to ensure the public is protected Nsbn works with organizations in collaboration with conferences and meetings This is a great way to stay in-the-know

magazine Nsbn sends out magazines every three months articles related to current nursing practice issues Common questions and concerns are addressed We welcome your article Send to Cprato@nsbn.state.nv.us

What is my role as an rn Be safe Be competent Be ethical Be a leader Be an educator Be a life long learner

What do you mean educator? We have a duty to teach our novice nurses We have a duty to promote the profession in a positive light We have a duty to take a role as an educator when students are on the floor What does this mean to me?

This means You will work as the designated rn for your patients You will collaborate with the educator/faculty who has responsibly for the student nurses You will ask the student nurse what his/her objectives are for the day You will ensure the student knows your expectations of medications/procedures You will ensure you follow-up on all assessments and interventions done by the student nurse

This means You will have the contact information for the faculty overseeing the student nurse You will report any unsafe behaviors or unprofessional behaviors to the faculty immediately You will communicate with faculty to report student progress and the meeting of the daily objectives You will communicate your expectations of the faculty to the faculty at the facility

Director of nursing education What does the director of nursing education do? Regulate lpn, rn, cna programs in Nevada Review curriculum, program changes, outcomes, nclex scores

Goal Goal is to promote quality education Goal to ensure Nevada nursing students are exposed to the best possible programs, educators, and clinical experiences This means you need to communicate with me if you have issues or concerns

Innovative education opporutnities Nsbn wants nursing students to have exceptional experiences If you know of innovative education opportunities let the universities and colleges know Let the board of nursing know The new education regulations allow for programs to be innovative with board approval nac 632 amendment

Review process of nursing programs Review process for programs is continuous Programs are transparent and want to have the best program Plans for improvement are always in the works Programs take your feedback seriously They want to be a partner with you

Patient ratios Although the board does not regulate ratios we know this is an issue Become involved in your organizations Bring issues to your organization Become involved in the nna, ana, committees, and nurses day at the legislature Get to know your representatives in government

Bullying in nursing Hot topic A topic that is not new to nurses Many organizations (nna) hold free Ceus on this topic

Regulation of facilities Nsbn does not regulate facilities We can’t tell facilities they can and cannot tell you what to do You need to know your scope You need to know your expertise area We receive many calls from nurses regarding employment issues We can only tell nurses to know their scope, their practice act, and to work with their employer on employment issues

What happens if someone files a complaint against me Make sure your address is current This is a law (30 days) after moving must update address with board of nursing If you do not change your address and nsbn sends you a certified letter and you do not receive it, or respond, the case will continue to the board of nursing for a hearing

Complaint continued You will receive a certified letter explaining what the complaint is You will have to respond to the nsbn Respond!!! Call the nsbn if you have questions or are unclear about what to do You have the right to hire own counsel if you have to go to the board of nursing hearing You have the right to fight your case in front of the board members All cases are thoroughly investigated and due process is adhered to

All matters of the board are public All meetings are public All licenses are public All hearings are public Just know that nothing happens behind closed doors

Stay up-to-date Nsbn places all new updated information on the nsbn website Nsbn writes about pressing matters in the magazine There are new regulations that passed in 2016 related to lpn scope of practice and nursing education programs

If I have a question can I ask? Of course you can!!! Nsbn would rather you call and ask questions before acting rather than acting and then calling to self-report

What if I want to contact the board? We welcome questions, concerns, and feedback Practice question: sam mccord in reno office Education: Catherine prato-Lefkowitz in the las vegas office General question call the office and someone will help answer your question Never contact board members; only board staff

Goals of nsbn Be transparent Be available Be helpful Protect Nevada patients