Renew Your RN license, COA and CTP Certificates Online Now
Renewal notices are being mailed this week to RNs and APRNs for the 2013-2015 license period. Use the link below to easily navigate to the online renewal website. Windows users must access the renewal website using Internet Explorer and Mac OS/X users should access the site using the Safari web browser.
Reminder for RN's who hold a COA or CTP:
When renewing online, you will need to renew your RN license, each COA (CNS, CNP, CRNA, CNM) you hold, and your CTP (if applicable) separately within the system. Please log back into this system if you have another license and/or certificate to renew.
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Click Here to Download the RN, COA and CTP Renewal FAQ Sheet
If you wish to place your RN license, certificate(s) of authority or certificate to prescribe on inactive status, please email the Board at renewal@nursing.ohio.gov. Be sure to include your full name, license number and credential(s) you are requesting to be placed on inactive status.
Seeking CNS Applicants for CPG Vacancy
The Board of Nursing is accepting applications from Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS)s for its Committee on Prescriptive Governance (CPG). A CPG application is available below and will remain posted through June 28, 2013, the application deadline. The vacant position is for a CNS, therefore only individuals who have a certificate of authority as a CNS should apply.
The Board will appoint a CNS to the CPG at its July 2013, meeting to fill an unexpired term that ends May 2014. The Committee on Prescriptive Governance is a multidisciplinary committee established in Ohio Revised Code, Section 4723.49. The CPG establishes, reviews and revises the Formulary for Ohio APRN Certificate to Prescribe holders. CPG members serve without compensation, but are reimbursed for their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties. The CPG usually meets three times during a calendar year. The remaining 2013 meeting is scheduled for October 21. CPG meetings are open to the public.
Click Here for the Committee on Prescriptive Governance (CPG) Application
New National Study: Teen Misuse and Abuse of Prescription Drugs Up 33 Percent
New, nationally projectable survey results released Tuesday by The Partnership at Drugfree.org and MetLife Foundation confirmed that one in four teens has misused or abused a prescription (Rx) drug at least once in their lifetime – a 33 percent increase over the past five years. The Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS) also found troubling data on teen misuse or abuse of prescription stimulants. One in eight teens (13 percent) now reports that they have taken the stimulant Ritalin or Adderall when it was not prescribed for them, at least once in their lifetimes. Ohio’s teens report less abuse of prescription drugs, but many are still in jeopardy. Contributing to this sustained trend in teen medicine abuse are the lax attitudes and beliefs of parents and caregivers. In fact, nearly one-third of parents say they believe Rx stimulants like Ritalin or Adderall, normally prescribed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), can improve a teen’s academic performance even if the teen does not have ADHD. Parents are not effectively communicating the dangers of Rx medicine misuse and abuse to their kids, nor are they safeguarding their medications at home and disposing of unused medications properly.
Click Here for the Localized Press Release for Complete Details
Important OARRS Registration Information for CTP Holders
It is important that all Certificate to Prescribe (CTP) holders register for OARRS (Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System) to be in compliance with the legal requirements for the use of OARRS. Rule 4723-9-12, Ohio Administrative Code (OAC), requires that under certain circumstances APRN prescribers use the OARRS information in their practice when prescribing controlled substances or tramadol. You can access Rule 4723-9-12, OAC, “Standards And Procedures For Review of OARRS,” via the link below.
To register for OARRS and to obtain additional information about OARRS, go to https://www.ohiopmp.gov/Portal/Brochure.pdf. The Board encourages you to register immediately so you are in compliance with this legal requirement. Because it is important for APRN prescribers to register for OARRS, you will also be reminded to register during renewal this year.
Click Here to View Chapter 4723-9-12, OAC on the Lawriter Website
New Ohio Law: Determination and Pronouncement of Death
An amendment to the Ohio Nurse Practice Act (Chapter 4723, Ohio Revised Code (ORC)) authorizes certified nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, and registered nurses, under specific circumstances, to determine and pronounce death. The new law is effective March 22, 2013 by the enactment of Am Sub HB 284 during the 129th General Assembly.
Click Here for the Complete Announcement
Click Here to Download Am Sub HB 284
Click Here to Download the Legislative Services Commission Final Analysis
Nurse Education Grant Program
Proposals for Funding September 1, 2013 to August 31, 2015
The Request for Proposals for the 2013-2015 Nurse Education Grant Program (NEGP) cycle is now available on the NEGP page of the Board of Nursing website. All proposals in application for 2013-2015 NEGP funds must be received at the Board's office no later than 5:00 p.m. Friday June 7, 2013.
Section 4723.063, Ohio Revised Code, authorizes the Board of Nursing to establish and administer the NEGP. Through the NEGP, the Board awards grants to nurse education programs that have partnerships with other education programs, community health agencies, health care facilities or patient centered medical homes for purposes of increasing the nurse education program's enrollment capacity.
House Bill 303 - Revisions to the Nurse Practice Act
Substitute House Bill 303 (HB 303) was signed by the Governor on December 20, 2012 and the majority of the provisions will be effective March 20, 2013. HB 303 is a comprehensive revision of the Nurse Practice Act that promotes public safety, consistent with the mission of the Ohio Board of Nursing. The revisions address pertinent regulatory issues and requirements for licensees and certificate holders and provide greater clarity about the regulatory requirements. Some of the components of the bill are as follows:
- Streamlines certain Board practices and data collection requirements
- Clarifies the language for certain grounds for nursing discipline
- Extends the Nurse Education Grant Program for an additional ten years
- Modifies certain provisions of the Licensed Practical Nurse scope of practice
- Provides title recognition to Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN), the nationally accepted term now used to refer to registered nurses who have attained this advanced degree of licensing and certification
- Requires out-of-state applicants to complete a two hour course on Ohio laws and rules
- Exempts those who did not renew a license because of military service from paying the $100 reinstatement fee Increases the length of the extension period that the Board may grant to an APRN who is continuing to participate in an externship program
- Conforms laws governing dialysis technicians and interns to federal requirements
Click Here to Download HB 303
Click Here to Download the Legislative Service Commission Analysis
Emergency Facility Opioid and Other Controlled Substances Prescribing Guidelines
- Please Implement -
As you are probably aware, the Ohio Emergency and Acute Care Facility Opioid and Other Controlled Substances Prescribing Guidelines (OOCS Guidelines) were issued in May of 2012. The OOCS Guidelines were developed through a collaborative effort of health care/medical professional associations, individual medical professionals and state agencies that were brought together under the Professional Education Work Group of the Governor’s Cabinet Opiate Action Team (GCOAT). These guidelines along with the accompanying patient handout and pocket card guide were distributed to all hospitals and emergency physicians in Ohio in August 2012. The OOCS Guidelines, patient handout, pocket cards and background information can be accessed at this link: http://www.healthyohioprogram.org/ed/guidelines.
Please share this information with emergency medical professionals and emergency and acute care facilities in your area and encourage them to implement these guidelines. A limited quantity of the pocket cards is still available. To request pocket cards please send an email to: BHPRR@odh.ohio.gov
UPDATE: December 20, 2012 – A Pending CTP-E Holders and CTP-E Applicants Alert
The Ohio Board of Nursing worked with the state legislature on an amendment in Substitute House Bill 303 to Section 4723.482, ORC to assist pending Certificate To Prescribe (CTP-E) holders and applicants. The amendment became law on December 20, 2012.
The amendment makes an exception for pending CTP-E holders and CTP-E applicants who completed a 45-hour course of study in advanced pharmacology before December 20, 2012. This exception allows these APNs to take a 6-hour online course in schedule II controlled substances to supplement the advanced pharmacology course of study rather than requiring a "classroom or clinical course" to satisfy the course of study requirements. The online course must meet the CE requirements established in Chapter 4723-14, OAC.
To re-summarize:
1. If you completed the 45-hour advanced pharmacology course of study without the 6-hours in schedule II controlled substances prior to December 20, 2012, the 6-hour online course in schedule II controlled substances may be taken before or after December 20, 2012.
2. If you have not completed the 45-hour advanced pharmacology course prior to December 20, 2012, the 6-hour course in schedule II controlled substances must be taken as part of the 45-hour advanced pharmacology classroom or clinical course of study as already required in current law.
NCLEX Quick Results 900 Number Discontinued
The 900 number Quick Results service that NCLEX candidates use to obtain NCLEX results will no longer be in service effective January 1, 2013. Please utilize the www.pearsonvue.com/nclex for information on accessing the Quick Results program via the Web.
Nursys e-Notify is Now Available
The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) announces the launch of Nursys e-Notify, the national nurse licensure notification system that automatically delivers licensure and publicly available discipline data directly to employers as the data is entered into the Nursys database by participating U.S. boards of nursing.
The e-Notify system alerts subscribers when changes are made to a nurse’s record, including changes to license status, license expirations, pending license renewals, and public disciplinary action/resolutions and alerts. If a nurse’s license is about to expire, employers have the option to receive a notification about the expiration date.
Nurse employers are able to subscribe to this service to track licensure and discipline information for little or no charge (cost is dependent on the number of nurses enrolled in the system). The first 100 nurses in a facility registered with Nursys e-Notify are free of charge. After that, each nurse is $1 per year. If an employer has 99 nurses they pay nothing; if they have 200 nurses, the cost per year is $100.
To learn more and subscribe to Nursys e-Notify visit the Nursys website. An introductory video is also available. NCSBN is a not-for-profit organization whose members include the boards of nursing in the 50 states, the District of Columbia and four U.S. territories — American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Virgin Islands and 12 associate members.
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Tools to Help Reduce Misuse of Prescription Drugs
DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day: April 27, 2013
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has scheduled another National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day which will take place on Saturday, April 27, 2013, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This is a great opportunity for those who missed the previous events, or who have subsequently accumulated unwanted, unused prescription drugs, to safely dispose of those medications. For more information go to:
http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/
Note: The location of collection sites near you will be available after April 1, 2013.
Health Department Rx Abuse Campaign
The Ohio Department of Health has launched a public education campaign to address an increase in deaths from prescription drug overdoses, which have surpassed car crashes as the leading cause of accidental death in Ohio. Meanwhile, the Council of State Governments is finalizing a proposal it will put forward soon on how states can work together to monitor the flow of prescription drugs.
The department's "Prescription for Prevention" campaign focuses on five counties where the problem is worsening - Adams, Jackson, Ross, Vinton and Cuyahoga - and will feature broadcast advertisements and educational outreach
programs at workplaces and high schools.
The campaign also has a website, www.p4pohio.org, which offers fact sheets and brochures about the problem statewide and in the targeted counties. The campaign also involves the formation of county-level coalitions of health, law enforcement and education agencies and personnel.
The Rx Drug Abuse Campaign follows a Governor’s Task Force on prescription drug abuse culminating in a final report back to the Governor on October 1, 2010. The Ohio Nursing Board was represented on the Task Force by Betsy Houchen, RN, JD, the Board’s Executive Director.
Injury Policy Brief - Naloxone
The Naloxone Policy Brief has been updated and can be found in the Ohio Injury Prevention Partnership (OIPP) Advocacy Toolkit at https://sites.google.com/site/ippaag/home/rxdrug. Click on Prescription Drug Abuse and then click on Injury Policy Brief - Naloxone.
New Toolkit to Help Reduce Misuse of Prescription Drugs
The Cardinal Health Foundation and The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy released an interactive toolkit that pharmacists, health care providers, community organizations and others can use to educate their communities about how to avoid the misuse of prescription drugs. Click on the link below for additional information about the toolkit.
http://www.cardinalhealth.com/us/en/generationrx
CDC Education Module Available for Teaching Purposes
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has announced that an Education Module, “Balancing Pain Management and Prescription Opioid Abuse,” is available for teaching purposes. Information is available at:
http://www.cdc.gov/primarycare/materials/opoidabuse/index.html
NEW LAW – Advanced Practice Nurses and Schedule II Prescribing
Senator Scott Oelslager introduced Senate Bill 83 on February 16, 2011, to expand the authority of certain advanced practice nurses to prescribe schedule II controlled substances. The bill was passed by the Ohio legislature and signed by Governor Kasich on March 9, 2012. The bill becomes law and will go into effect on June 8, 2012. The Board will adopt rules pertaining to an APN's authority to prescribe schedule II controlled substances, and the Committee on Prescriptive Governance (CPG) will recommend revisions to the Formulary pertaining to schedule II controlled substances.
The CPG expects to complete the additions/revisions to the Formulary by June 8, 2012, the effective date of the bill. The Board has completed the rulemaking process with an effective date of November 5, 2012.
The Board has established rules regarding the continuing education course requirements for Certificate to Prescribe (CTP) holders. The effective date of November 5, 2012 will provide ample time for CTP holders to complete the required six hours of continuing education before the renewal cycle ends on August 31, 2013. When you renew your license, you will be required to verify completion of the continuing education course.
The Board encourages APNs and other interested parties to periodically check the Board website for additional information regarding implementation of Sub. SB 83, draft administrative rules, and CPG information. If you have questions or comments, please contact the Board at board@nursing.ohio.gov.
Click Here for the Legislative Bill
Click here to download the Sub. SB 83 Overview
Click here to download the Sub. SB 83 Ohio Legislative Service Commission Analysis
The Eight Steps of the NCLEX
The process of taking the NCLEX exam can be broken down into eight steps. These steps cover registration and scheduling, eligibility, identification requirements, and results processing.
The Eight Steps of the NCLEX:
1. Apply for licensure with one board of nursing (BON).
2. Register and pay $200 with Pearson VUE via the Internet, telephone or by U.S. mail.
3. Receive an Acknowledgement of Receipt of Registration from Pearson VUE.
4. Receive eligibility from the BON.
5. Receive an Authorization to Test (ATT) letter from Pearson VUE. Candidates must test within the validity dates. There are no
extensions.
6. Schedule an exam appointment via the Internet (by accessing your online account) or by telephone (telephone only for
international scheduling).
7. Arrive for exam appointment and present your ATT letter and acceptable identification (ID). The only acceptable forms of ID for
test centers in the U.S., American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands and U.S. Virgin Islands are:
U.S. driver's license (Department of Motor Vehicle-issued; if expired, a renewal slip that includes a photograph and a
signature must be presented as well);
U.S. state identification (Department of Motor Vehicle-issued);
U.S. military identification; or
Passport. The only acceptable form of ID for international test centers is a passport.
8. Receive results from the BON approximately four weeks after the exam.
APRN Consensus Model Update
The APRN Consensus Model is the result of the collaborative work of the APRN Consensus Work Group and the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) APRN Advisory Committee with extensive review and comments from the larger APRN stakeholder community. The Consensus Model was developed to promote uniformity in requirements for advanced practice nursing.
LACE (Licensure, Accreditation, Certification, and Education), a communication network that includes licensure, accreditation, certification, and educational organizations that represent the components of APRN regulation, is facilitating the implementation of the APRN Consensus Model with stakeholders interested in advancing uniformity in APRN regulation and requirements.
NCSBN is taking a major role in promoting and assisting state boards of nursing in the adoption of the regulatory components of the APRN Consensus Model. Beginning in 2008 and subsequently, the Ohio Board of Nursing reviewed the APRN Consensus Model and the related NCSBN Model Law and Rules. Below are two grids that provide comparison information about the APRN Consensus Model requirements and the Ohio Nurse Practice Act and administrative rules. For questions regarding the requirements of the APRN Consensus Model compared to the Ohio Nurse Practice Act and administrative rules, please email practice@nursing.ohio.gov.
The APRN Consensus Model, as well as numerous related documents are available at www.ncsbn.org.
Click Here for the 2012 APRN Consensus Model by State
Click Here for the Comparison of the Consensus Model for Ohio
HB 93 – Pain Management Clinics
In May, Governor Kasich signed into law Amended Substitute House Bill 93, sponsored by Representatives David E. Burke, R.Ph., and Dr. Terry Johnson, D.O. The amended bill aggressively focuses on further regulating facilities and prescribers operating as pain management clinics by requiring that the Board of Pharmacy license those clinics. Additionally, the Medical Board must adopt rules establishing standards for physician operation of pain management clinics and standards to be followed by physicians who provide care at pain management clinics. The bill also modifies the operation of OARRS (Ohio Automated Rx Review System), a drug database administered by the Pharmacy Board that is used to monitor the misuse and diversion of controlled substances and other dangerous drugs.
Additional information can be found on the Board's Advanced Practice page and at
the Center for Safe Prescribing. www.med.ohio.gov/Center_for_Safe_Prescribing.html
Patient Safety Initiative
Creating a Culture of Safety and Accountability
By implementing a more comprehensive approach to practice complaints, the Board is more directly addressing and impacting patient safety. The goal is to increase patient safety through effective reporting, remediation, modification of systems, and accountability. The objectives are to:
- Increase employer reporting of information related to practice breakdowns
- Increase employer-sponsored practice remediation
- Incorporate Just Culture for the review of practice complaints
- Create a statewide patient safety database
- Assist with the development of a national patient safety database
- Increase the use of the Practice Intervention and Improvement Program, an alternative to discipline program of the Board.
Click Here for the Complete Summary
Click Here for the Patient Safety Initiative Booklet
Ohio Selected for a Longitudinal Study of Transition to Practice in Nursing
Ohio, Illinois and North Carolina were selected to participate in NCSBN’s groundbreaking study of a standardized transition to practice program for newly licensed nurses.
Phase I of the study targeted acute care settings. Phase II includes long-term care, community, and home health sites. This is the first study of a transition program to compare patient outcomes in sites that use a standardized transition model to those that don’t.
Click Here for the NCSBN Press Release
Click Here for the Transition to Practice White Paper
by the
Legislative and Practice Committee
of the Ohio Organization of Nurse Executives
Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Education Pilot Project
In June 2010, Ohio House Bill 198 established the Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Education Pilot Project enabling 44 primary care practices (40 physician-led and 4 APN-led) educationally affiliated with select medical or nursing schools in Ohio to implement the PCMH model of care in their practices.
TransforMED, a nationally known company with a successful history of assisting primary care practices towards transformation to the PCMH model, has been contracted to facilitate several components of the Pilot Project.
Additional information regarding the PCMH Education Pilot Project can be found online at:
http://www.odh.ohio.gov/landing/medicalhomes/Education%20Pilot%20Project.aspx
Rule on Advanced Practice Nurses Primary Source Recertification Documentation
If you are an advanced practice nurse, your certificate of authority (COA) is current and valid only if you meet all requirements of the Board including maintaining certification or recertification by the applicable national certifying organization. Please refer to the 'Nursing Practice' page of the Board’s website for a list of Board approved national organizations.
Effective February 1, 2011, the Board requires primary source verification for advanced practice nurse national recertification. For this to occur, you must request that your national certifying organization notify the Board directly of national recertification within thirty days of your recertification. The Board no longer accepts documentation of recertification from a COA holder.
If you have any questions, please contact the Advanced Practice Unit at apn@nursing.ohio.gov or (614) 466-6180.
Join the Ohio Board of Nursing on Facebook
The Ohio Board of Nursing is on Facebook. This social networking page is intended to enhance but not replace the Board’s website (www.nursing.ohio.gov). The Board’s Facebook page will be used similarly to the Board’s Twitter and eNews email list-service. You can expect to receive periodic notices about: rules hearings, potential law changes, meeting notices for the Board and its advisory groups, highlights of Board meeting agendas, content updates made to the Board’s website and other time sensitive announcements. Join us today on Facebook!
Click Here For Our Facebook Page
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Columbus-OH/Ohio-Board-of-Nursing/151746234862913
Patient Protection & Affordability Care Act
Below you will find a link to a summary of nursing related provisions in P.L.111-148, the Patient Protection & Affordability Care Act completed by the AARP Center to Champion Nursing.
