New Jurisprudence Exam

Editorial Team / Moderator · Jul 16, 2008

Interesting ... I wonder what prompted that. Any idea?

EricJRN, MSN, RN · Jul 16, 2008

Here's more info from the current BON agenda:

http://www.bon.state.tx.us/about/july08/7-4.pdf

EricJRN, MSN, RN · Jul 16, 2008

I moved this thread to the Texas Forum where it will be most relevant.

Editorial Team / Moderator · Jul 16, 2008

OMG, I'm in the Texas forum! Umm ... howdy?

hypocaffeinemia, BSN, RN · Jul 16, 2008

Lovely. I know that Texas requires a jurisprudence exam for physicians, and most don't look forward to it as it is quite lengthy and cumbersome.

I can only hope the nursing version will be less problematic, considering I graduate May 2009.

sjt9721, BSN, RN · Jul 16, 2008

Lunah said:
Interesting ... I wonder what prompted that. Any idea?

It was a recommendation of the Sunset Advisory Commission. From the board's website: The Texas Sunset Act provides that the Sunset Commission, composed of legislators and public members, periodically evaluate a state agency to determine if the agency is still needed, and what improvements are needed to ensure that state funds are well spent. Based on the recommendations of the Sunset Commission, the Texas Legislature ultimately decides whether an agency continues to operate into the future. (So Sunset Review isn't limited to the BON!)

Personally, I think it's a good idea. It's amazing to me how many of my co-workers aren't familiar with NPA and BON rules. Professional nurses have a responsibility to be familiar with Peer Review, Safe Harbor, due process, CE requirements, etc. I don't expect everyone to quote chapter & verse, but at least be familiar with and know how to look them up.

I am far from an expert, but I do try to keep myself informed. Afterall, it is my license that helps me pay my bills!

jspacegirl · Jul 17, 2008

texasrtkd said:
Hey Guys,
Found out today that starting on Sept 1, 2008 there will be an exam that everyone has to take before receiving their liscense. This exam is over nursing ethics. I received this info from the Texas board of nursing in Austin. There will be more information on their website he said closer to time at www.bon.state.tx.us. The board member said that we can take before or after the nclex and their will be seminars and material to study for this. Just thought ya would want to know.
txkdrt.

Actually, the test is over nursing law/regulation type stuff; aka, how well you know your nurse practice act. Luckily, even though I won't take the NCLEX until after 9/1/2008, I won't have to take that test, since I graduate almost a month before. We got official word from the BON.

However, since most people will graduate in December of 2008, hopefully by then your nursing school will be able to furnish more info about how you should study for the exam. As of a month ago, my nursing management prof. still couldn't get any word as to how this test would be formatted, how to study, or anything like that.

TexasNurseEducator · Aug 8, 2008

Reasons are several: many nurses get in trouble because they do not know the rules when something odd happens. For instance, what do when the MD order is against a standard of care. I teach the Jurisprudence Course for nurses who have been charged with practice errors or have a previous minor criminal offense as well as nurses returning to practice. One of the situations was a patient whose port a cath would not give a blood return. Nurse called MD who said since it was flushing to give chemo anyway. Patient had extravasation as the site had an internal problem. This is just one of the many examples I could give. We are trying to educate the new nurses so they will know how to stand up for themselves and their patients and protect their license. It is long overdue. We have Safe Harbor to help us and some of don't even know what it is much less how to invoke.

Bortaz, MSN, RN · Aug 23, 2008

What is your opinion regarding this new exam Texas nursing school grads must take, starting in Sept 2009?

Quote
The Board of Nursing has posted their proposed rules for the Nursing Jurisprudence Exam that takes effect 9/1/08. The pertinent part is as follows:
217.17.Nursing Jurisprudence Exam (NJE).
(a) Exam Development.
(1) The Board will develop a Nursing Jurisprudence Exam (NJE) as authorized by Nursing Practice Act (NPA) 301.252.
(2) The NJE will be required for each person who submits an application seeking initial licensure on or after September 1, 2008.
(3) The NJE will be a minimum of 50 questions and shall be psychometrically validated.
(4) The NJE shall be designed to test an applicant's knowledge relating to board statutes, rules, position statements, guidelines, disciplinary sanction policies, frequently asked questions, and other resource documents accessible on the board's web page relating to the regulation, licensure, and practice of nursing under the following categories:
(A) Nursing Licensure and Regulation in Texas;
(B) Nursing Ethics;
© Nursing Practice;
(D) Nursing Peer Review;
(E) Disciplinary Action.

http://nursinglaw.blogspot.com/2008/08/texas-nursing-jurisprudence-exam.html

RN1989 · Aug 24, 2008

After reading some of the posts on here, I find that there are MANY nurses that are ignorant of nurse practice acts and how the law factors into our profession.

Somehow, I doubt that there are going to be many nurses that will retain the info, but, they will have to be more accountable for their actions. I am sure that the BON is tired of hearing the excuse "I didn't know". This way, the BON will have required them to be educated about healthcare laws and the nurses will be held accountable, whether they remember the info or not.

If there wasn't a problem with stuff like this, the BON would not have decided to do this. Yes, it is a pain but it's just like Joint Commission - too many screwups and you get legislated and regulated to death since people didn't take responsibility without being told.

Bortaz, MSN, RN · Aug 24, 2008

Good points, but it leaves out the millions of people who were nurses before Sept. 2008.