Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Nurses continue battle for aides

A movement to expand the duties of certified nursing aides is far from over, even though the state Board of Nursing rejected such a proposal last week.

More than 600 nurses turned out Friday to speak against allowing CNAs to perform additional services under the direction of registered nurses or licensed practical nurses. The board also received about 100 letters of protest against the proposed regulation change, while only eight were supportive.

But the Nevada Association of Hospitals and Health Systems, which represents 34 health-care facilities for acute and specialty care, says the added duties are necessary. In May, its policy development committee will be meeting, and the CNA issue likely will be a key topic, said Jeanette Belz, president and chief executive officer.

"Changing the dynamics of the CNAs' responsibility falls into trying to achieve our response to the environment and the quality of health care," Belz said. "We need to discuss what our next step will be."

The Board of Nursing told nurses at the standing-room-only meeting that they should voice their concerns to the 1997 Legislature. When Lonna Burress, its executive director, asked to form a task force to oversee the changing health-care environment in Nevada, the board failed to act on her request.

The Coalition for Quality Patient Care -- an organization of local nurses, physicians and concerned citizens -- plans to lobby Gov. Bob Miller to form a task force of professionals to oversee health-care policies and changes being made throughout the state. Cynthia Bunch, a registered nurse and coordinator for the coalition, said groups are meeting and plan to submit their proposals within two weeks.

"We are hoping that they (hospitals) don't attempt to do this again with CNAs at the Legislature," Bunch said. "If they do, it will be the third time."

Bob Walsh, a spokesman for the governor, said his office hasn't been approached to get involved in a task force.

Lt. Gov. Lonnie Hammargren, a Las Vegas neurosurgeon who gave testimony against expanding the duties of CNAs, said at the board meeting that he would like to chair such a task force. Walsh, however, said he wasn't sure if it would be appropriate for a lieutenant governor to be in charge.

As it stands, CNAs' duties can be "commingled" with those of RNs or LPNs only if appropriate training has been completed, Bunch said. They must follow the Nurse Practice Act guidelines.

Burress said if the Board of Nursing had approved the regulation change, CNAs would have known exactly the scope of their duties.

Bunch disagrees. She said the language in the proposed regulation was too vague and would have been open to interpretation by each hospital's chief nurse.

"Now that we have defeated this, I don't think hospitals will commingle CNAs' tasks," Bunch said. "But this won't be the last we will hear about this."

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