(KLFY)– The Louisiana State Board of Nursing (LSBN) passed two emergency rules today (Friday) in response to COVID-19.
State agencies are given the authority to adopt temporary rules in order to create emergency provisions to prevent an imminent peril to the public health, safety, or welfare.
The rules extend and/or reinstate expired temporary permits of Registered Nurse (RN) applicants. They also allow advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) practicing with a previously approved collaborating physician to extend their practice to new sites not previously reported to the board during the public health emergency.
The actions taken today will increase the number of RNs and Advanced Practice RNs available to take care of all Louisianans during this current health crisis. It will allow more ‘boots on the ground’, to coin a military phrase, to provide the urgent nursing care needed by our families, friends and neighbors at this time. LSBN will continue to work with our colleagues at the Louisiana Department of Health and in the Governor’s Office to insure safe and competent practitioners are available to care for all patients in our healthcare system.
LSBN Chief Executive Officer Karen Lyon, PhD
The first emergency rule amended relates to temporary permits issued to RN applicants.
Under the emergency provisions, the LSBN may extend the expiration of a temporary permit or reinstate an expired permit during a public health emergency for nursing graduates who have not taken the NCLEX-RN provided that:
- The applicant is a graduate of an approved school
- Has a pending application for initial licensure submitted within the immediately preceding calendar year
- There is no evidence of violation of the LSBN’s rules and/or regulations
- There are no allegations or acts or omissions which constitute grounds for administrative disciplinary action
Any permit extended or reinstated in accordance with the public health emergency exception shall be valid for 120 days and may be extended for additional 90-day increments.
The LSBN is notifying RN applicants regarding the extension/reinstatement of their temporary permits via e-mail.
Temporary permits can be verified on the LSBN’s website.
The second emergency rule amended affects authorized practice of APRNs. Under the emergency provisions, APRNs are allowed to work at sites not previously reported to the LSBN in collaboration with physicians in which there is a collaborative practice agreement in place.
A collaborative practice agreement is a formal written statement addressing the parameters of the collaborative practice mutually agreed upon by the APRN and one or more licensed physicians or dentists.
The Louisiana State Board of Nursing information can be reached at lsbn.state.la.us.
