2017 Maryland Nurses Association Annual Convention

2017 Maryland Nurses Association
Purpose:
Maryland Nurses Association (MNA) supports an integrative legislative approach that focuses on
registered nurses, advanced practice nurses, healthcare consumers, and the healthcare system.
A workplace violence prevention sub-committee, chaired by Donna Zankowski , was formed to
investigate non-legislative efforts to prevent violence against nurses and health care professionals.
Best practices were researched and a summit ,organized in conjunction with the Maryland Hospital
Association, is in the planning stages
2017 Legislative Session Summary (completed by Robyn Elliott/ Public Policy Partners)
Nursing Licensure and Scope:
• HB 253 – Renewal of Licenses – CEUs (Passed): The Maryland Board of Nursing
(MBON) will be required to allow nurses to renew licenses using CEUs. The Board will
work with stakeholders to develop CEU requirements. MNA supported the bill.
• HB 482/SB 385 – Nurse Practice Act – Revisions (Passed): Revises the Board’s
composition by converting one LPN seat to an APRN seat and adding a new seat giving
the Board: 2 APRN seats open to any APRN as well as 1 seat open to an LPN, RN,
or APRN. In addition, the bill makes other updates, including repealing an outdated
formulary requirement for CNMs. MNA supported the bill.
• HB 628/SB 517 – Secretaries of Principal Departments – Supervision and Review of
Decisions and Actions by Units within Departments (Passed): Creates a system of
independent, third-party review of any potentially anti-competitive decisions by a health
board. The bill is in response to the US Supreme Court Case on North Carolina Dental.
MNA supported the bill.
• HB 1113/SB 988 – Community Health Worker Act (Failed): Proposed a regulatory
framework for certification of community health workers. While MNA successful
obtained amendments to ensure the scope of CHW’s did not include clinical, the
legislation failed because of opposition of the hospitals.
• HB 1198/SB 679 – Child Abuse and Neglect Training (Failed): Mandated training for
all health professionals and other mandated reports. MNA opposed.
• HB 1632/SB 1174 – Certificates of Births – Births Outside of Institutions (Passed):
Requires DHMH to allow CNMs and other attending clinicians to register birth
certificates of home births. MNA supported.
• SB 41 – Nursing Compact Revisions (Passed): Revises Maryland’s law so that
Maryland can remain in the Compact. MNA supported.
Clinical Practice
• HB 518 – Public Health – Prenatal HIV Testing (Passed): Removes HIV testing
requirements for pregnant women from statute, and instead, places those requirements
in regulation. MNA supported because it is inappropriate to codify clinical practice.
• HB 1432 – Health Care Providers – Prescription Opioids – Limits on Prescribing
(Passed): MNA worked with other health professional associations to amend the bill.
The bill began as a 7 day limit on all initial opioid prescriptions with a few exceptions.
The bill was amended to require prescribers to follow national guidelines.
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