Calling all Nurses Support SB 334 Board of Nursing Transfer from SoS to Independent State Agency under DCH Umbrella"

Good morning GA APRNs and to ALL Supporters of Nursing,

Long but important email....

SB 334 was filed late last week. While one-pager is forthcoming, here is a link to the Full Bill for your review.

Below is an strong appeal to ALL Georgia Nurses to vigorously support SB 334 from a former GBON President, Barry Cranfill who does an excellent job summarizing why this bill is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT for Georgia Nurses. I hope everyone will take the time to distribute this widely (think FB/Twitter/email) to fellow nurses, friends and family across the state, so they can call their State Senators and State Representatives office to support the SB 334. Barry is happy to field any questions.

Please Stay Tuned for Updates. Our Full Practice Authority Bill (which should be dropped before the end of the week) and the PTIP Bill (Preceptor Tax Incentive Program) HB 301will also need your STRONG support and your willingness to TAKE ACTION.

ACTION for TODAY:Please go ahead and look up who your Legislators are at openstates.org and put their Capitol Office Phone Numbers in your cell phone.

Phone calls are preferred to Emails. Hand written letters can also have huge impact over a form letter/email. (Legislators get irritated with they get so many emails that there email crash). If you do send an email, make sure it is personalized to some degree. We learned at the GNA bootcamp that some legislators may be more likely to actually open and read emails from an Emory email address, as opposed to an email from a GMAIL Account.

Each Legislator Staff keeps a tally of the Phone Calls that come in support or in opposition to a bill. (Only once have I called and spoken to an actual legislator.)

We will send another email when it is a crucial time to make calls.*In addition your own legislators you may be asked to call other key legislators to help the bill pass out of committee.

Here are two simple script examples for your calls on SB 334:

• "Good morning, I am calling as a constituent of XXXXX (Legislators Name), I am asking him/her to support SB 334 that make the board of Nursing an independent Board under the Department of Community Health."
  
  
• "Good morning, I am calling as a constituent of XXXXX (Legislators Name), I am asking him/her to support SB 334 which will give the GA Board of Nursing increased autonomy and greatly improving the efficiency of board operations for the benefit of all Georgians. Many other health professional boards (such as dentists, physicians and pharmacists" have made this move from SoS to being an independent board under DCH"

Link to look up your state legislators. You will click on image of your legislator to get the phone and mailing address.

Open States: discover politics in your state - Open States

Follow politics in your state legislature. Find your legislators, see how they vote and browse bills, committees and events.

Evidence states it only takes an average of about 8 phone calls from constituents to sway a legislator to vote "yes" or "no" on a bill. So each of your phone calls will have great impact. Our bills will have strong opposition so Georgia Nurses and their supporters must be engaged like we never have been before, flooding with phone calls on key days and going to the Capitol as well. This is could be a very BIG year for us IF YOU are willing to TAKE ACTION.

We will also Need Nurses to come to the Capitol. If you are able to come, we have a program to guide you with support from our lobbyists and/or Nurse Legislative Ambassadors of sorts that know their way around the Capitol.

Here is the sign up link of you can come to APRN/RN of the Day

RN & APRN of the Day 2018 Legislative Session

Letter from past BON President:

Good afternoon!

I would like to take this opportunity to weigh in with all of our nursing colleagues on this very important Bill. SB 334 is the culmination of many years of work by members of the GBON. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT GEORGIA NURSING LEGISLATION OF TH LAST DECADE!

The GBON exists solely to ensure the safety of the public. All regulatory activities of the GBON are carried out with that singular objective. Currently, the GBON is administratively assigned to the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State (SoS) regulates most professional licensing Boards to include barbers, contractors, funeral directors, plumbers, electricians, geologists, engineers, land surveyors, etc. However, the professional licensing Boards for physicians, dentists and pharmacists are all administratively assigned to the Department of Community Health (DCH). The regulation of nurses should also be administratively assigned to the DCH.

The history of this issue and the rationale for why the dental and pharmacy Boards departed the SoS and why the GBON desires to also depart the SoS is well outside the scope of this email. However, I am happy to provide anyone with the history and rationale should you have an interest. Just know that this move has been sought for many years and is supported by the current GBON, many of the past members and presidents of the GBON and the National Council of the State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN).

As a previous member and President of the GBON, I am pleading with all of our nursing colleagues to support this legislation, as is, and do all you can to avoid any and all opposition or amendment. This is NOT the time or the BILL to try and attach another agenda to in hopes of advancing another agenda. Therefore, I am respectfully requesting that nursing leaders across the state do all they can to help pass SB 334 without amendment. Although we have many other nursing concerns and initiatives, failing to establish the GBON as an independent Board under the DCH (per SB 334) will make any future nursing changes exponentially more difficult. This IS THE MANDATORY FIRST STEP to ensure the proper regulation of nursing practice and public safety.

The language that is being used to make this change is very similar to the language and process used a few years ago to move the dental and pharmacy Boards to DCH. Although imperfect (as is the case with most legislation), the langue, as is, accomplishes this most important first step towards improving the regulation of nursing for our citizens.

I am happy to discuss this legislation and the history with anyone. Please feel free to call me at (770) 356-2165.

Warmest regards,

Barry A. Cranfill
Molly Bachtel, DNP, FNP-C
UAPRN Member
CEO/Chair CAPRN