COVID-19 Iowa Board of Nursing Memo

EMERGENCY PLAN RESPONSE

 

To:                   Iowa Nurse Licensees and Employers

From:              Kathy Weinberg, Executive Director

Date:               March 25, 2020

Subject:          State Public Health Emergency Proclamations

In the past week Governor Kim Reynolds has signed several proclamations during the state’s public health emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Iowa Board of Nursing is currently reviewing all sections of the proclamations to provide additional guidance to healthcare employers and nurse licensees. With this memorandum, I will address the section of Iowa Administrative Code which allows active licensees from other states to practice in Iowa in an emergency.

See the administrative rule 655 Iowa Administrative Code (IAC) 3.2(2) c.below:

3.2(2) Current Iowa licensure is not mandatory when:

c. A nurse who holds an active license in another state provides emergency services in an area in which the governor of Iowa has declared a state of emergency.

Employers: This means active single or multi-state licensees may work in Iowa without an Iowa license.

Prudent hiring measures are as follows:

Verify the licensee status by accessing https://nursys.com and click on the nursysQuickConfirm tab. Agree to the terms and conditions listed. You can search by name or license number. Once a nurse licensee is identified, you may view a report that will show if a nurse holds an unencumbered license. The report will also show a multistate compact status or single state status.

Alternatively, you can check the Iowa Board of Nursing licensure system to verify the Iowa only information. See this LINK.

Check the discipline database to make sure the license is unencumbered at this LINK.

Inactive Licensees
Also as a reminder, the Governor’s proclamation from March 17, 2020, allows a licensee who has an inactive Iowa nursing license for less than five years to assist during this emergency proclamation. Employers should do the following before allowing an inactive Iowa nurse licensee to practice in the state:

  • Verify licensure
  • Check the discipline data base
  • Check the abuse registry, and
  • Check the Office of Inspector General Exclusionary List.

Volunteer Opportunities
In an email to all active Iowa nurses on March 24th, licensees were notified about the Iowa Statewide Emergency Registry of Volunteers (i-SERV). If nurses want to assist during this pandemic response see iaserv.org to register.

Employers should contact the registry at the same site by clicking on the “Contact Us” tab to request assistance and to access volunteers from the Iowa Department of Public Health registry.

Thank you for your contribution and dedication to the public in this time of need.

 

The mission of the board is to protect the public health, safety and welfare by regulating the licensure of nurses, the practice of nurses, nursing education and continuing education.