HJBR May/Jun 2019

48 MAY / JUN 2019 I  Healthcare Journal of BATON ROUGE vere” according to the Diagnostic and Sta- tistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition (DSM 5), Edited and Published by the American Psychiatric Association in 2013. LSBN also corrected a language er- ror that is currently present in the admin- istrative rules. The error reads, “No substi- tution of narcotic medications destined for patients for the purpose of diversion.”This statement will be removed from the Loui- sianaAdministrative Code since suboxone, an opioid medication, is used to treat nar- cotic (opiate) addiction. Chapter 33, Section 333 1 - Louisiana Revised Statute 14:2(B) enumerates the crimes of violence by which LSBN has aligned proposed rule changes for appli- cants that apply for licensure, licensure by endorsement, reinstatement, or the right to practice as a student nurse set forth in 3331. LSBN has more broadly enumerated viola- tions that will be considered for denial and delay of nursing licensure. The scope be- came broader by allowing the Board to use its discretion in determining the number of years that a nursing applicant for licen- sure, licensure by endorsement, reinstate- ment, or the right to practice as a student nurse shall be delayed or denied approval for licensure, for reinstatement, to receive a temporary working permit, to be eligible for NCLEX-RN, or to enter or progress into any clinical nursing course. The LSBN has changed the timeframe from a required minimum of five years to up to five years at the discretion of the Board. Chapter 34, Section 3415 - The Louisi- ana State Board of Nursing in accordance with the provisions of the Administra- tive Procedure Act, R. S. 49:950 et seq., and through the authority granted in R. S. 37:918 is proposing rule changes to Chap- ter 34. Disciplinary Proceedings; Alterna- tive to Disciplinary Proceedings, Section §3415.Reinstatement of License under Title 46, Professional and Occupational Stan- dards, Part XLVII. The proposed changes are listed below: (1) The RN and/ or APRN will be able to submit an application for reinstatement if his/her license has been revoked, but the application will not be considered for reinstatement if: (a) The license has been revoked per- manently; (b) The license has been declared re- voked permanently; or (c) It has been less than 5 years since the date of the Board’s revocation order became a final judgement. Chapter 34, Section 3405 - The LSBN is adding clarifying language to the defi- nition of “revoke” regarding the licensure of Registered Nurses (RNs) and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) in Chapter 34, Section 3405 of the adminis- trative rules. Amendments to the defini- tion of “revoke” include language allowing for the reinstatement of a revoked license 5 years after revocation of a license. The revised definition aligns with recent changes in Chapter 34, Section 3415 of the administrative rules, which modifies the reinstatement of licenses process for RNs and APRNs. The changes in Chap- ter 34, Section 3415 allow for the RN and/ or the APRN to submit an application for the consideration of reinstatement by the board if his/her license has been revoked. The rule changes to Chapter 34, Section 3415 were published October 20, 2018. Additionally, the proposed rule chang- es amend the definition of “suspend” re- garding the licensure of RNs and APRNs, implementing a maximum cap on license suspensions of 3 years. Under the prior definition, the LSBN could suspend licens- es indefinitely. The revised definition fur- ther clarifies the powers of an RN or APRN under license suspension. As always, in closing, I leave you with these words that highlight LSBN’s ap- proach to shifting our culture toward em- bracing and celebrating change: “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that sur- vives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” - Charles Darwin n nursing