HJNO Jan/Feb 2025
HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I JAN / FEB 2025 51 Karen C. Lyon, PhD, MBA, APRN-CNS, NEA Chief Executive Officer Louisiana State Board of Nursing Council of Nurses (ICN). Based in Geneva for over 10 years, Ferguson directed the ICN Leadership for Change Program, the ICN-Burdett Global Nursing Leadership Institute, and served as an ICN consultant for nursing and health policy. Tracey Moffatt, board president, led a contingent of nursing leaders from Ochs- ner to participate in the American Organi- zation for Nursing Leadership’s Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C., promoting the following initiatives: • Increasing the healthcare workforce and strengthen capacity. • Protecting and supporting healthcare workers. • Addressing nurse faculty and clinical site shortages. Finally, the board established a task force of board members, staff, and clinical practitioners to evaluate and develop rule modifications and changes in LAC 46.XL - VII.3707(B)(5) on peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) insertion and re- moval. This initiative will be moving for- ward in 2025. It has been a busy and productive year for the LSBN Board of Directors. The RNs, APRNs, and public can rest assured that the members are active and engaged in providing support, resources, and training to RNs and APRNs while also acting as a governing body to monitor nursing per- formance in their mission to protect the public. n Approval for Nursing Education Degree Programs to allow an undergraduate nurs- ing education degree program that does not meet the 80% first-time pass rate in any January to December calendar year to receive a warning letter from the LSBN Board. After two consecutive years, or two out of any three calendar years, of not meeting the 80% NCLEX-RN first-time pass rate, the school would be placed on probation. The board is also in the final stage of rulemaking for LAC 46.XLVII.4303 Employment of Student Nurses and Un- successful Candidates on the NCLEX-RN examination. The proposed rule changes will allow an undergraduate nursing stu- dent currently enrolled in a professional pre-licensure education degree program or a graduate nurse who has not passed the NCLEX-RN examination within 12 months of their first attempt, to be em- ployed in a nursing setting and to perform procedures and tasks for which they have been educated and certified as competent by their educational institution and/or by graduation from an LSBN-approved pre- licensure nursing education program. The nursing student or new graduate must be supervised by an RN or APRN, and health- care institutions must develop policies and procedures to regulate these providers. Practice and research The board issued an advisory opinion on intravenous hydration and existing rules regarding RNs’ compounding of medications. The board upheld its previ- ous position that LSBN considers mixing or otherwise preparing IV solutions in non-emergency circumstances as a pro- hibited act for all its licensees due to the current state and federal laws and rules relative to compounding. The Louisiana Center for Nursing within LSBN issued the Newly Licensed Regis- teredNurse (NLRNs) Survey and Snapshot, which provides employers of NLRNs and nurse educators important information that can be used to help create a seamless transition from academia to practice and increase retention of NLRNs. • “Finding Employment as a New- ly Licensed Registered Nurse in Louisiana 2024.” https://www.lsbn. state.la.us/wp-content/uploads/ center-for-nursing/2023-newly- licensed-registered-nurse-report- final-01092024.pdf • “2023 Louisiana Snapshot of Newly Licensed Registered Nurses (NLRNs) Survey Results.” https://www.lsbn. state.la.us/wp-content/uploads/ center-for-nursing/lcn2023-new- licensed-rns-snapshot-final.pdf The board initiated an evaluation of their functions, both as individual mem- bers of the board of directors and for the board as a group. The evaluation was facil- itated by internationally acclaimed Steph- anie Ferguson, PhD, RN, FAAN, who has worked in over 100 nations as a technical advisor, consultant, and facilitator for or- ganizations such as the World Health Or- ganization (WHO) and the International
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