HJAR Sep/Oct 2019

20 SEP / OCT 2019 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS Q&A What is new in nurse licensure? Are the systems better than they used to be? The Board of Nursing (BON) implemented a new licensure database in early June. The new system requires each nurse to create a nurse portal in order to apply for a license or renew a license. The portal allows the nurse to see the status of any application, renewal, or initial, in real time. There is no more won- dering, “Did they get my documents?”, “Have they renewed my license?”, or “What is still outstanding?”. Amajor perk of the system is that the majority of nurses qualify for instant renewal of their license. The renewal applica- tion is submitted and the renewed license is immediately displayed on the ASBN license verification system. The portal also facilitates communication between board staff and the licensee through a secure electronic mes- saging system. No more faxing or mailing documents now that all documents can be uploaded through the portal. Who can report nursing violations to the Board? What is the reporting process for hospitals and clinics? Anyone can submit a report to the Board of Nursing, even anonymously. All complaints must be in writing and should be submitted through the online complaint system. This system is accessed from theASBN webpage. The reporting process is the same whether related to social media. Nurses accidently include a patient in a picture they post or start ranting about a work related incident without thinking about HIPAA. The smart nurse keeps anything related to work out of all social media platforms. Is Arkansas in line with other states? In what ways are we unique? The Arkansas board is very much in alignment with other states with regard to the practice of RNs and LPNs. Arkansas is a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact, along with thirty-three other states. Unfortunately about one third of the states are ahead of Arkansas with regard to APRN practice. APRNs must still have a col- laborative agreement in order to prescribe medications. How important is a nurse’s attitude in the hearing process? What are some extenu- ating circumstances the board looks at in its review? The board considers the facts of an inves- tigation when deciding if the allegations are a violation of the Nurse PracticeAct, and if so, what action should be taken. When allega- tions of misconduct are made against a nurse, it is important for the nurse to be in contact with the investigator and the board. Hear- ing the nurse’s side of the incident is critical it is an individual or a representative of a facility. Every complaint is reviewed and is in- vestigated if it appears to be a violation of the Nurse PracticeAct (NPA). All nurses are required by law (ACA§17-87-609(a)(6) to report any incident that violates the NPA. In 2015 Act 411 was enacted. This law re- quires employers of healthcare profession- als to report to the appropriate licensing authority any final disciplinary action taken, or the voluntary resignation as a result of the diversion, misuse, or abuse of illicit drugs or controlled substances. How has the nature of violations changed? Are we seeing more or less of certain violations? Violations related to drugs, prescription and illegal, have been the most common violations for many years. The drugs in- volved in the complaints change over time, but the scenarios stay the same. Anew type of drug related complaint we are seeing is nurses testing positive for THC as a result of Cannabidiol (CBD) oil. CBD oil contains varying amounts of THC and since it isn’t regulated by the FDA, you cannot be sure of the concentration. Currently there are no tests on the market that distinguish between THC frommarijuana and THC fromCBD oil. We are seeing an increase in complaints The Board is committed to protecting the public by ensuring the nursing workforce is comprised of safe and competent nurses.