There are new prescriptive delegation rules drafted by the Texas Medical Board and many physicians, APRNs or PAs may not be aware of the changes. The rules apply to prescriptions, delegation by physicians, practice sites, and review of charts. One of the big areas that can impact an APRN or PA is the requirement for [...]
Multistate Compact Licensure rules can impact a nurse even if the nurse is not working under a compact license. If you have a license in the state in which you practice, but live in another state, you may be affected by the compact rules for multistate licensing even if you are not working under a [...]
Last month, the Governor, Lt. Governor and the Speaker of the House asked all agencies to cut 5% from their 2010-2011 Budgets. The budget year from September 1st to August 31st; therefore, the 2011 budget starts in September. All agencies submitted their cuts. Most agencies that I deal with: Medical, Nursing, Dental, LPC, LSW, LMFT, [...]
The ratio law in California that limits the number of patients per nurse was the subject of a research study and the findings support that the ratio is preventing deaths and improving nurse’s beliefs about their job performance. Victoria Colliver’s April 20, 2010 article “Pioneering Law on Nurses Found to Save Lives” describes the findings [...]
There is not a simple answer to this question because there can be so many variables. The one sure thing is – DO NOT LIE TO THE BOARD!! Many nurses answer the Board’s application/renewal questions based on what they think a criminal background shows or what other employers/agencies/etc. have found when they ran criminal background [...]
Disciplinary actions or Agreed Orders remain on a nurse’s license forever. When stipulations/restrictions are placed on the license, the nurse’s license is encumbered and those restrictions show up on the license when the license is verified (for example, the verification page will show “Warning with Stipulations” or “Remedial Education”). Once the stipulations/restrictions are completed and [...]
Anne Mitchell was found not guilty. Yea!!!
The Texas Nurse Association has been tracking this case closely and is in attendance at the trial. TNA has also set up a legal defense fund and provided letters in support of the nurses’ actions. Here is their account of the daily ongoings , quoted from texasnurse.org,
Update: Wednesday, February 10
Andrews Courthouse – On [...]
The trial began on February 8, 2010 with jury selection. Prior to the trial, one of the two nurses, Vicki Galle, originally indicted was dismissed from the case. Anne Mitchell’s trial involves felony charges for mis-using private, patient files to harass the County hospital’s doctor. On February 9, 2010, testimony began in the trial. The [...]
I have heard from another nurse who is having a difficult time obtaining a job while under a Board Order. This is an ongoing problem especially in this economy. Some employers are refusing to hire a nurse no matter what the basis for the Order. Most nurses cannot afford to fight an Order [...]