Re: LA Times - Problem nurses stay on the job as patients suffer Originally Posted by Cherybaby 
After that investigative report, Governor Schwarzenegger took action in a big way by firing MOST of the members, including the President, of the Califorinia Board of Nursing. One member was so appalled by the firings that she resigned her position. Gov. Schwarzenegger had replacments already lined up for those positions. He cleaned house...
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la...,5570676.story
Governor Schwarzenegger did not “fire” half of the California Board of Registered Nurses (BRN). The truth is no one was released, fired or let go from the BRN. Three of the Board members were up for reappointment and were told they would not be reappointed. One resigned. The rest were open positions that the Governor has never filled.
The truth is the Board of Registered Nursing is not an independent body. The Board is under the Department of Consumer Affairs. The Department of Consumer Affairs was a "good government" idea of a former administration that thought consolidating functions of different boards would improve outcomes. Just the opposite has occurred.
The Department of Consumer Affairs controls the BRN’s budget. The Board cannot hire or create positions without approval of Consumer Affairs. It cannot approve salaries without approval of Consumer Affairs and the Department of Personnel. The salaries for nurse-consultants are so low they cannot fill the positions. More than half of the nurse-consultant positions of the BRN and LVN Board are vacant.
The LA Times, in their typical fashion of not getting the facts, have allowed 7 members of the BRN and Ruth Ann Terry, the BRN executive director, to take the fall for the failure of a system of government that does not protect the public. The BRN and Ruth Ann Terry do not control the investigators, or their budget or the Department of Justice. They are caught in a system that if they complain too loudly they will just be removed.
Professional nursing is going to ask for an independent Board. If we, as a profession, are going to take this hit then let us have the responsibility as well. Let us control our budget and our investigations. Let us hire a DAG and judge to deal with our issues full time. It is unconscionable for the Department to allow the BRN to take this hit.
The truth is that the Medical Board has 76 investigators that work for the Medical Board that covers 22,000 medical licenses. The BRN shares 40 positions with many other boards in a department where they do not control the staff or priorities, and there are 350,000 nurses in the State of California.
The truth is Governor Schwarzenegger doesn’t really know what’s going on in California much less the Board of Registered Nursing.
Nursing News