Board Of Nursing Passes Emergency Rules For COVID-19

Louisiana State Board of Nursing passes emergency rules in Response to COVID-19

The Louisiana State Board of Nursing (LSBN) passed two (2) emergency rules today (March 19, 2020) in response to COVID-19. The rules extend and/or reinstate expired temporary permits of Registered Nurse (RN) applicants and 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.

LSBN Chief Executive Officer Karen Lyon, PhD, stated that “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.”

               The first emergency rule amended LAC 46:XLVII.3329 relating 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 and has a pending application for initial licensure submitted within the immediately preceding calendar year,

Add 1-1-1/State Board of Nursing Passes Emergency Rules

there is no evidence of violation of the LSBN’s rules and/or regulations, and 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 may be verified on the LSBN’s website using the License Verification Portal at https://lsbn.boardsofnursing.org/licenselookup.

The second emergency rule amended LAC 46:XLVII.4513 with respect to 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.

State agencies are given the authority through La. R.S. 49:953(B) to adopt temporary rules in order to create emergency provisions to prevent an imminent peril to the public health, safety, or welfare. The LSBN is closely monitoring the COVID-19 emergency and its impact on the state and Louisiana’s nursing workforce.

The Louisiana State Board of Nursing information can be reached at lsbn.state.la.us.