The Texas Board of Nursing (BON) has proposed amendments to BON rules relating to Continuing Competency. The period for public comment closed on November 11, 2018.
The Texas Nurses Association requested that the Board allow additional topics to be credited as Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) and count toward the mandatory continuing education units necessary for licensure renewal. In response, the Board charged the Nursing Practice Advisory Committee with reviewing 22 Tex. Admin. Code Chapter 216, related to Continuing Competency.
Board of Nursing Proposed Rule Changes Relating to Continued Competency
Many of the proposed amendments to Chapter 216 are non-substantive in nature and seek to provide clarity to the existing rule text, correct outdated references, and grammatical errors, and includes confirming language for consistency with other BON rules.
The two significant changes to 22 Tex. Admin. Code Chapter 216 proposed by the BON relates to acceptable content of CNE courses.
First, the BON proposes CNE courses demonstrating a link between a nurse’s attitude and self-awareness and nursing practice and patient outcomes should be accepted. Research over the past decade has demonstrated that courses focusing on fatigue, resilience, moral distress, compassion fatigue, and nursing satisfaction have an impact on nursing practice, patient safety, and patient outcomes. The Nursing Practice Advisory Committee’s review of such evidence-based research lead to the determination the BON should accept CNE courses that educate nurses on the link between a their attitudes and patients’ outcomes.
Second, the BON proposes that the prescriptive requirements relating to older adult and geriatric care be amended. The current rule mandates that information relating to elder abuse, age-related memory changes, disease processes, chronic conditions, and end of life issues be included in older adult and geriatric care CNE courses. The rule amendment expands the acceptable scope of information and is designed to make it easier for nurses to find CNE courses that will meet the rule’s requirements. The proposed rule provides that CNE courses relating to older adult and geriatric populations may include information on topical information related to elder abuse, age-related memory changes and disease processes, chronic conditions, end of life issues, health maintenance, and health promotion.
The BON will consider the amendment proposals and vote on whether to adopt them in an upcoming Board meeting.
Issues with Your Texas Nursing License
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