News & Events

RN ALERT: Commonwealth Wants to Allow Unlicensed People to Administer All Medications to Patients in Any Setting, including Acute Care Hospitals and Schools

FYI for nurses and everyone making calls on the unlicensed medication administration proposal:

Gov. Charlie Baker has already begun trying to deflect blame on this issue. But he owns this dangerous plan. Baker has appointed six of the 14 current members of the Board of Registration in Nursing, which has proposed allowing unlicensed people to administer medication. The executive director of the board is also a Baker appointee.

Baker came into office declaring he would overhaul state regulations. This proposal would do just that, and in doing so jeopardize patient safety. Baker’s plan would endanger patients in every health care setting. Call Gov. Baker at 617-725-4005. Tell him you know it is his plan, proposed by his appointees, and urge him to stop #BakersBadMedicine.

 

Join Our Campaign to Stop This Dangerous Proposal!

Attend a Public Hearing on These Regulations on Oct. 4th at 8 a.m. in Boston

 

Background:                         The Mass. Board of Registration in Nursing (BORN), under the Baker administration, recently proposed drastic and dangerous changes to the regulations that dictate your role and responsibilities as a registered nurse. Specifically, the BORN wants to allow RNs to delegate medication administration duties to unlicensed people in all settings, including acute care hospitals, schools, long term care facilities, and home care settings. Under this proposal, other clinical duties — including wound care, catheter insertion, etc. — could also be delegated.

Until now the delegation of these clinical duties has been strictly prohibited. Why? Because they involve complex procedures that demand the skilled assessment and monitoring that only RNs can provide.

This proposal is a full-on attack of your nursing practice. If left unchallenged it will result in reduced RN staffing in all settings, greater liability for RNs, and a dramatic increase in the unsafe conditions that are already affecting patients.

Help Us NOW!                        Call Governor Charlie Baker at 617-725-4005 and tell him:

·       The BORN’s plan to let unlicensed people administer medications to patients and to perform other clinical nursing duties is extremely dangerous

·       Patients will be harmed as a result and medical errors will skyrocket

·       He needs to protect Massachusetts patients by immediately stopping the BORN from moving ahead with this dangerous and radical plan

Help Us on OCT. 4!  Attend the BORN’s Oct. 4th public hearing and related rally where these proposed changes will be discussed. The hearing room and streets outside need to be filled with RNs that day so the public and media understand the devastating affects these changes will have on your patients and practice:

 

Tuesday, Oct. 4th at 8 a.m.

239 Causeway Street, 4th Floor; Boston MA 02114

Please stay tuned for any related updates, details, or changes. Location is easily accessible via public transportation. The MNA will also be providing bus transportation to the hearing. To reserve a seat, contact Eileen Norton at enorton@mnarn.org.

 

 

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