To further the State’s vaccination rollout, today DCA issued Administrative Order 2021-04, which generally applies to licensed health care providers who are authorized to administer vaccines or to delegate the administration of vaccines to other medical professionals, and who are required to report vaccine administrations to the NJIIS. The Order requires that those licensees register with and make timely reports to the NJIIS whenever reporting is required, including when administering COVID vaccinations. Licensees who fail to register or make required reports may be subject to disciplinary sanctions.
The International Council of Nurses, the International Centre on Nurse Migration and CGFNS International, Inc. released a new report detailing policy implications and necessary actions to retain older nurses in the workplace as up to 4.7 million nurses worldwide are expected to retire by 2030. The report builds on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) State of the World’s Nursing report and provides a 10-point plan for supporting older nurses in their work.
The Division of Consumer Affairs State Board of Nursing has adopted new regulations which authorizes healthcare providers to engage in telemedicine and telehealth. The adopted new rules have taken effect on October 19, 2020.
On September 16, 2020, Governor Murphy signed the following bills into law.:
A4476/S2790 – Establishes certain requirements concerning State’s preparedness and response to infectious disease outbreaks, including the COVID-19 pandemic.
A4481/S2787 – Establishes New Jersey Task Force on Long-Term Care Quality and Safety.
A4482/S2758 – Establishes minimum wage requirements for certain long-term care facility staff; establishes direct care ratio requirements for nursing homes; requires nursing home care rate study.
A4547/S2813 – Authorizes temporary rate adjustment for certain nursing facilities; appropriates $62.3 million.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) has launched the NJ Student Nurse Strong Initiative. Through this program, nursing students may seek summer employment at long-term care facilities as temporary nurse aides. This is an opportunity for nursing students to assist New Jersey’s most vulnerable populations.
If you are in the Externship Program for the Helene Fuld Grant, please contact Nancy Bohnarczyk () for details. This is a team-based approach, and provides supervision in long-term care facilities.
To meet the increased demand for health care professionals during the current state of emergency and public health emergency, the State of New Jersey is licensing graduates of nursing education and training programs located in New Jersey within the last six months, and graduates of physician assistant, respiratory care therapy and pharmacy education and training programs who located in any state within the last 6 months.
Until further order of the Division, the following four classes of licensee will be granted temporary emergent graduate license:
Nurses who have graduated from programs in Professional Nursing and Licensed Practical Nursing who have not yet taken the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN or NCLEX-PN);
Physician Assistants who have graduated fromphysician assistant education programs accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant Inc. (ARC-PA), or its predecessor or successor, who have not yet taken the applicable licensing examination;
Respiratory Care Therapists who havegraduated from education programs for respiratory care practitioners accredited by the Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) or its successor, who have not yet taken the applicable licensing examination;
Pharmacists who have graduated from schools or colleges of pharmacy who have not yet taken applicable licensing examinations.
Additionally, the Division is waiving fee submission and criminal history background check requirements for all four groups of health care graduates. Those licensed under this program will be required to sit for an examination within 90 days of the date their respective examinations become readily available to be taken.
