Senator Moorlach acts to address our critical Nursing Shortage.

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This “came across our transom” this morning from our favorite Republican state senator John Moorlach.  Unlike most Republican legislators in Sacramento, John is, as always, doing something constructive and timely, and working well with Democrats.  Did we mention he is up for re-election in November? – Vern.

Nursing Shortage

We [royal we? Never mind, you’ve earned it, proceed] review all of the legislative ideas that we have identified during the fall and winter months. We then narrow them down to less than 20. This is not an easy task. One of those that we did pursue is SB 1053 . Little did we know that it would be so profoundly crucial at this moment in California’s history

It is a very simple proposal. Instead of forcing nurses to go through the state’s licensing requirements, taking some 90 days, when they move here, just let them work the day they arrive. The bill would establish California as a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact, which allows for immediate service of nurses to our state’s patients. This will work well in an emergency or for military spouses who are registered nurses when their husbands and/or wives are assigned to this state.

Who would have known when we submitted this bill a couple of months ago that it would be of such critical importance? The Sacramento Bee recently covered the dire situation. A recent report also identified that, due to the state’s failure to join the Nurse Licensure Compact, when it comes to emergency preparedness, California is in the middle of the pack.

The OC Register’s Opinion page for tomorrow provides a shout-out in the column linked [from Greenhut.]

Would-Be Nurses

The OC Register column also mentions the frustrations that nurses nearing graduation are facing. Yesterday I sent a letter to Governor Newsom asking him to consider making modifications to assist those nursing students who need the necessary and critical hands-on experience to graduate, but are being stymied by bureaucracy.

Dear Governor Newsom,

In these difficult times, I want to thank you for your leadership and for the various executive actions you have taken to ensure the State of California is ready and mobilized to fight the COVID-19 epidemic. With that in mind, I am writing today to request additional action from your office, with regards to nursing education in California.

The California Code of Regulations (CCR) Title 16, Section 1426 (g)(2), requires that nursing courses that satisfy the clinical hour requirements facilitate 75% of clinical hours in a “direct patient care” setting. In other words, in order for nursing students to satisfy their graduation requirements, they must spend 75% of their required clinical hours in a supervised patient-care environment. The other 25% of clinical hours may be conducted in a simulated environment. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 outbreak and the associated strains on hospitals and care providers, supervised instruction for nursing students in hospital and clinical settings is no longer possible. This means that thousands of nursing students are not going to be able to satisfy their graduation requirements and enter into the workforce in the coming months. By maintaining the 75% requirement, we are standing in the way of over 10,000 nurses getting to work and treating California patients.

The solution is simple:  In conjunction with actions already taken by the U.S. Department of Education, the Board of Registered Nursing can temporarily reduce the threshold of required direct-care clinical hours to 50% or lower and allow nursing students to finish their requirements in simulation settings at our nursing schools. It is well within your authority to issue this directive via Executive Order and I am formally asking you to take this step to ensure nursing students are able to graduate on-time—at a point in our history when we need them the most.

For this legislative session, I have worked diligently on a piece of legislation, SB 1053, which would ease barriers for out-of-state nurses seeking to practice in California. With that bill, and this effort, I remain focused on ensuring that access to care is not compromised by a lack of nursing professionals.

This effort to ensure nursing students are able to graduate is supported by the UC system, the CSU system, our state’s private post-secondary nursing schools, and the community college nursing programs across our state. I urge you to take action immediately, and temporarily adjust CCR Title 16, Section 1426 (g)(2).

Very truly yours,

John M. W. Moorlach.

Now it’s time for Orange Juice readers to help out, if you agree with what the good Senator is doing!  (And if you don’t, let us know why in the comments below.)

I mean you’re all stuck at home like me, no?

First, e-mail and/or call the Governor to take Sen. Moorlach’s suggestion and temporarily adjust CCR Title 16, Section 1426 (g)(2), to reduce the threshold of required direct-care clinical hours to 50% or lower and allow nursing students to finish their requirements in simulation settings at our nursing schools.

Meanwhile on SB 1053, which hasn’t even had a hearing yet:  Our Sacramento lawmakers are now at home on account of the virus.  Methods are being experimented with, as to how they can debate and vote remotely – uncharted territory (or “unchartered” as some of our sadly less-educated talking heads have been saying.)  But it’s not too early to contact your Senator and Assemblycritter to make them aware of this timely and worthy bill, and that you’ll rain hellfire on them if they don’t support it:

ASSEMBLY (Click on name to e-mail)

55 Philip Chen (R) – (714) 529-5502 or (916) 319-2055
65 Sharon Quirk-Silva (D) (714) 525-6515 or 916-319-2065
68 Steven Choi (R) (714) 665-6868 or 916-319-2068
69 Tom Daly (?) (714) 939-8469 or 916-319-2069
72 Tyler Diep (R) (714) 843-4966 or 916-319-2072
73 Bill Brough (R) (949) 347-7301or 916-319-2073
74 Cottie Petrie-Norris (D) (949) 251-0074 or 916-319-2074

SENATE (Click on name to e-mail)

29 Ling-Ling Chang (R) (714) 671-9474 or (916) 651-4029
32 (just central Buena Park) Bob Archuleta (D) (562) 406-1001 or (916) 651-4032
34 Tom Umberg (?) (714) 558-3785 or (916) 651-4034
36 Pat Bates (R) (949) 598-5850 or (916) 651-4036
37 John Moorlach (R) (714) 662-6050 or (916) 651-4037  (Well, you could just tell him good job!)


About Admin

"Admin" is just editors Vern Nelson, Greg Diamond, or Ryan Cantor sharing something that they mostly didn't write themselves, but think you should see. Before December 2010, "Admin" may have been former blog owner Art Pedroza.