President's message, Georgia Board of Nursing's executive director vacancy and next steps

September 24, 2020

Dear Georgia Nurse Colleagues,

This has indeed been a trying year for all of us in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. As your Georgia Nurses Association President, I want to let you know how much I appreciate all the work you are doing, your amazing courage, and the commitment you demonstrate to support the citizens and other nurses in the state of Georgia. 

You may not be aware of the departure of the executive director at the Georgia Board of Nursing (GaBON). Please see the link to the Georgia Health News article below for more details.

https://www.georgiahealthnews.com/2020/09/top-nurses-upset-sudden-exit-popular-board-chief/

The GaBON is under the Office of the Secretary of State (SOS). Given the executive director vacancy at the Board, GNA has concerns about some Board functions during the transition to a new director. With that said, several nurse leaders and I attended a brief meeting with Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and his staff at the Georgia State Capitol on Wednesday, September 16, 2020. We wanted to share our thoughts and seek opportunities to work with him to mitigate risks until a new executive director and nurse education consultant can be hired.

I am pleased to share with you that along with other nursing leaders, I was invited by the Secretary of State to be a member of the Search Committee tasked with finding suitable candidates to fill the position of executive director. 

There are five key issues we are working on with the Secretary’s Office and GaBON to ensure seamless transition and support until new leadership is in place at the GaBON. These include: 

Public Safety is the Board’s primary responsibility. Investigations of violations of the Nurse Practice Act are a top priority. Additional funding provided under Secretary Kemp’s leadership has improved and expedited the investigative process and the resolution of complaints. We want to continue the progress. To this end, we want to partner and collaborate with the SOS Office and the GaBON to help vet and appoint a new executive director as soon as possible.

Licensure for new graduates, renewal of existing licenses, and the endorsement of licensed nurses coming to our state must be consistent and timely. We want to remain compliant with the Nurse Licensure Compact, which has shown its value during natural disasters and the current pandemic.

Pre-Licensure Education approval and oversight is the responsibility of the GaBON. We need to maintain the expedited process of Nursing Program approval, and monitoring of their outcomes and any corrective action plans placed on programs by the Board. To this end, we are asking that the position of nurse education consultant be filled as soon as possible.

Workforce Data for the Georgia Board of Healthcare Workforce comes from the GaBON. The ability to track workforce data will help identify areas being hit the hardest by the current nursing shortage in Georgia.

Communication of new laws, public comment periods, rule, and policy changes are communicated to nurses through the SOS and GaBON. We want to assure bi-directional open and transparent communication. The recent passage of SB 321, scheduled to go into effect January 1, 2021, is a great example of the need for communication to you, our nurse colleagues.

The GNA is the voice of the profession and we appreciate your support. We will continue to keep you apprised of ongoing developments. Please visit the GNA website www.georgianurses.org to stay informed about matters of interest to Georgia Nurses.

Thanks for all you are doing every day, providing the best care for our patients and supporting each other. Stay well, stay safe.

 

In Service,

Richard Lamphier, RN

President

Georgia Nurses Association