March 27, 2020

State Board of Nursing: Additional Temporary Waivers

 

Summary:

The Department of State’s Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs (BPOA) requested, and Governor Wolf granted, waivers to several regulatory/statutory provisions related to the State Board of Nursing for the duration of the COVID-19 emergency.

For Certified Registered Nurse Practitioners (CRNPs):

 

• CRNPs must have a collaborative agreement with all physicians with whom they collaborate throughout an emergency declaration. Under the waiver, CRNPs who have a collaborative agreement with a physician in a hospital or health system are now permitted to collaborate with other physician(s) within the same hospital or health system, without written and signed collaborative agreements. Unless there is a Prescriptive Authority Collaborative Agreement, CRNPs may not prescribe and dispense under the additional
• Requirements are waived that CRNPs may only collaborate with physicians who hold current Pennsylvania licensure. This waiver will enable CRNPs to collaborate with physicians from other states. Unless there is a Prescriptive Authority Collaborative Agreement, CRNPs may not prescribe and dispense under the additional

For Registered Nurses (RNs) and Practical Nurses (PNs):

• For practitioners licensed in another state, the English language proficiency testing requirement for RN and PN Temporary Practice Permits is temporarily waived, due to the closure of testing centers during this disaster declaration.

For Practical Nurses:

• The required 1,500 hours of education, or its equivalent, for PN licensure by endorsement is temporarily waived for PNs who hold a current license in

 

another state and have graduated from a practical nursing education program approved by another state.

• The required 1,500 hours of education, or its equivalent, for PN licensure by examination is temporarily waived for graduates of a practical nursing education program approved by another

For Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs):

• Currently, CRNAs must administer anesthesia in cooperation with a surgeon or dentist. The requirement to administer anesthesia in cooperation with a surgeon is temporarily waived and replaced with any physician.
• Board regulations require CRNA graduates who have completed approved anesthesia programs to receive board approval to continue to practice if they are unable to take the CRNA examination due to extenuating circumstances. This requirement is temporarily waived during this disaster declaration due to the closure of testing CRNA graduates who avail themselves of this waiver must practice under the direction of, and in the presence of, a chief or director of anesthesia services or a board-certified anesthesiologist.

·        For Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNSs):

• CNSs who hold an active license in another state and current national certification must demonstrate educational equivalency for certification by endorsement. This requirement is temporarily
• License renewal deadlines will be extended from April 30, 2020, to July 29, 2020, as noted in a previous waiver summary.