WEST VIRGINIA STATE BOARD OF EXAMINERS FOR LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSES LPN NEWS

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1 WEST VIRGINIA STATE BOARD OF EXAMINERS FOR LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSES LPN NEWS 101 DEE DRIVE, SUITE 100, CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA PHONE: (304) FAX: (304) TOLL FREE WEB SITE: E:MAIL: OFFICE HOURS: MONDAY - FRIDAY 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. SPRING 2015 ABOUT THIS PUBLICATION This newsletter is an official publication of the West Virginia State Board of Examiners for Licensed Practical Nurses. The newsletter is published two times per year, in the Spring and in the Fall, and is posted on the Board s web site under Our Goals and Services, Organization. BOARD MEMBERS Vicki Jenkins, Vocational Dir. President Orpha Swiger, LPN Vice President Ben Vincent, Hospital Adm. Secretary Francine Kirby Chittum, MSN, RN Greg Chiartas, JD Mark Stephens, MD LPN Member (Vacant) RN Member (Vacant) Public Member (Vacant) BOARD STAFF Lanette Anderson, MSN, JD, RN Executive Director Michelle Mayhew, MSN, BA/HCM,RN Associate Executive Director Elsie Patterson Administrative Services Assistant Kim Cremeans Data Entry Coordinator FROM THE PRESIDENT Vicki Jenkins, Vocational Director I am proud to serve as the Board President this year and feel fortunate to work with such a professional and dedicated staff and board. These individuals live the mission of the LPN Board to promote and protect the public health, safety, and welfare through licensure of practical nurses. To that end, it is important to renew your license before it expires and obtain your required continuing education credits. Remember, all LPNs are required to complete at least 3 contact hours in the area of chemical dependency/substance use disorders for renewal of their license during each CE reporting period. Random audits are conducted monthly of reported continuing education. Each time the board meets we review disciplinary actions for a number of individuals who fail to meet basic licensure requirements. The West Virginia LPN Board is excited to be one of the first Boards of Nursing in the US to begin using a new Operations Management System offered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. This system will make renewing your license an easy and efficient process. West Virginia is proud to be a forerunner for this new management system. The system is up and running for renewals, and updates. Information will continue to be provided in upcoming issues of the LPN News and on our website. It is important that each licensee have an account to set up a portal as the Board continues to streamline the renewal process and move to a completely paperless system. The board strives to provide support and information relevant to licensure. Please feel free to contact us should you require additional information. Vicki Jenkins, President 1

2 DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS BY THE BOARD Since October 2014 Consent Agreements Letha Armstead, License #23836; BPN15-04 $1400 monetary penalty per working on lapsed license November 13, 2014 Wendy Love, License #27199; BPN15-03 November 13, 2014 Susan R. Tennant, License #29736; BPN14-74 Connie M. Riddle, License #24154; BPN14-77 Denise R. Osborne, License #20344; BPN Suspension followed by 1 year probation per drug diversion Margaret G. Mognet, License #26024; BPN15-65 Kandice L. Marcum, License #28667; BPN12-65 Pamela J. Doss, License #33129; BPN14-33 Reprimand per medication errors Candace E. Mason, License #24347; BPN Reprimand per documentation errors Cathy S. Best, License #26985; BPN15-59 Helen Meade, License #12514; BPN15-02 $200 monetary penalty per working on lapsed license December 17, 2014 David A. Dewey, License #31868; BPN year probation per DUI conviction January 21, 2015 Robin M. Curtis, License #27206; BPN

3 Josiah M. Howard, License #28203; BPN15-75 Deborah L. Velickoff, License #28065; BPN15-72 $212 monetary penalty per audit failure Jennifer L. Higgins, License #28793; BPN15-89 $500 monetary penalty per audit failure Audra L. Hall, License #29303; BPN and BPN $200 monetary penalty per working on lapsed license Lisa McDonald, License #26428; BPN $1280 monetary penalty per working on lapsed license February 3, 2015 Marilyn S. Tate, License #16461; BPN15-84 $600 monetary penalty per working on lapsed license Jennifer L. Higgins, License #28793; BPN15-89 $500 monetary penalty per audit failure Nicole L. Heflin, License #29218; BPN15-85 $140 monetary penalty per audit failure Kara D. Seabolt-Wilson, License #29215; BPN Kimberly K. Moore, License #16670; BPN15-69 Reprimand per documentation errors Catherine R. Marra License #34295; BPN15-87 Melissa K. Evans, License #30937; BPN15-86 All disciplinary actions taken are public information and are therefore provided to any individual who may call to inquire about the status of a license. They are also reported to the NURSYS national nursing data base as maintained by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, the HIPDB Data Bank as maintained by the federal government, and also to the Office of the Inspector General when a license has been surrendered, suspended, or revoked. 3

4 IMPORTANT INFORMATION CE REQUIREMENTS!!!! Senate Bill 437, passed during the 2012 WV Legislative Session, states that the West Virginia Board of Medicine, the West Virginia Board of Dental Examiners, the West Virginia Board of Optometry, the West Virginia Board of Pharmacy, the West Virginia Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses, the West Virginia State Board of Examiners for Licensed Practical Nurses and the West Virginia Board of Osteopathy shall establish continuing education requirements and criteria appropriate to their respective discipline on the subject of drug diversion training and best practice prescribing of controlled substances training for each person issued a license or certificate by their respective board who prescribes, administers or dispenses a controlled substance Therefore, all LPNs will be required to complete at least 3 contact hours in the area of chemical dependency/substance use disorders during each 2 year reporting period; you will report it next during the 2016 renewal cycle with the remainder of your CE hours. You may access a partial list of approved CE providers on the Board s website under NEWS. EXCITING CHANGES TO BOARD OPERATIONS FOR LICENSE RENEWAL Changes are here with regards to how you will interact with the Board to renew your license, change your address, and utilize other services. The West Virginia LPN Board is the first Board of Nursing in the US to begin using a new Operations Management System offered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. The system is up and running for renewals, and updates will continue to be provided in upcoming issues of the LPN News. One significant change that will take place is that all actively licensed LPNs in West Virginia will be required to have a valid address to utilize the many new online services which will be offered. If you do not have an address, you can establish one at google.com, yahoo.com or other websites. If you do not have a credit card you can purchase a pre-paid card at many retail establishments for your use on the Nurse Portal; just be sure that the available funds are at least $ Please feel free to contact the Board with any questions. To establish your portal, please follow the steps below: 1. Access the portal from by clicking the Nurse Portal link near the top of the Board s webpage 2. Since you will not already have an account on this new system, click the Create an Account box on the right side of the page; do not enter your and password on this page 3. Create your portal account by entering your first and last name and the content under Security Check, then click Lookup License 4. This will take to you a page that looks much like the previous one, however if you scroll down you will see your name and license number under the Lookup License box. Click the box that says Select Nurse and then click on Continue 5. On the next page, verify your identity by entering the last 4 digits of your SS# and your year of birth, then click continue 6. You will be asked for an address, and a verification will be sent to that address. If you do not have an address you can easily establish one at Yahoo.com or Google. If you already have an , you can put in your personal , work , or any other that you have access to. You must go to your within 24 hours after you register with the portal or the link contained in the which permits you to complete the portal registration will expire and you must begin the process again. 7. Once you have clicked on the link in your and completed your portal registration it will take you to your page on the portal where you can complete your renewal. You will be able to access the portal at any time using the address and password that you selected during the registration process. When returning to the portal at any time in the future you will sign in as an authorized user. We hope that this has been helpful. If you have problems please let us know. 4

5 INTRODUCING e-notify! FREE OF CHARGE! e-notify is a new nurse licensure notification system developed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing that delivers real-time notifications to employers about nurses who work for them. Once registered the employer will automatically receive changes to licensure status and available discipline data as the information is entered by boards of nursing. Registration by an employer is free for all nurses employed at the facility. Please see or contact nursenotify@ncsbn.org for more information and registration. You can also enroll your own license to get updates about your expiration date and any other changes in your licensure status. You can enroll at or via your Nurse Portal on the LPN Board website. TAKE A LOOK AT NCSBN.ORG! The National Council of State Boards of Nursing is a not-for-profit organization through which boards of nursing act and counsel together on matters of common interest and concern affecting public health, safety and welfare. Each Board of Nursing in the US and its territories is a member of NCSBN, and members participate in the establishment of policy for the organization and for nursing regulation at an Annual Meeting and through other mechanisms throughout the year. NCSBN s website has a great deal of information regarding the nurse licensure examinations, links to all other Boards of Nursing, continuing education offerings, and many other resources. We encourage you to take a look! HOW TO FIND US The LPN Board office is located at 101 Dee Drive, Charleston, WV. From I-64, take Exit 99 (State Capitol Exit). Turn onto Greenbrier Street (towards the airport and away from the Capitol). Turn right onto Hillcrest Drive. Come to the top of Hillcrest and into Hillcrest Office Park. Take the first left onto Player s Club Drive, then the next left at the mailboxes onto Dee Drive. The office building is a one-story brown building, and the LPN Board is located inside the door where the visitor parking is located. LPN SCHOOL INFORMATION The Board granted Tentative State Accreditation to the new LPN Program at WV Junior College in Bridgeport, WV and they accepted their first class of students in January The Board will review this program for Full State Accreditation for a three year period when this class has graduated and taken the licensure examination. Best of luck to the faculty and students of this new LPN program! A list of all West Virginia LPN Schools can be found on the Board s website at under Our Goals and Services, Education. Each school is accredited by the Board and therefore graduates from all West Virginia LPN schools which meet all other required criteria are eligible to take the NCLEX-PN licensure examination. FUTURE BOARD MEETING DATES June 10, 2015 Wednesday Regular Meeting 9:30 am; Joint RN/LPN Meeting 1:00 pm October 15, 2015 Thursday Regular Meeting 10:00 am LPN Board meetings are open to the public with the exception of executive sessions. If you wish to attend a meeting, please contact the Board office at least three days in advance so that adequate seating can be assured. Meeting dates are subject to change. The proposed agenda for each meeting is posted on the Board=s website under NEWS at least 30 days prior to the meeting. 5