The BON in Tennessee may be "sunsetted"

U.S.A. Tennessee

Published

I went to a Tennessee Nurse Association meeting tonight (one of my requirements for my leadership class.) According to them, if it hadn't been for the TNA the BON would be no more, because this company had lobbied to get rid of the BON.

Naturally, we wanted to know the dirt. The district president said that there was this school out of Virginia that wanted to set up one of its nursing diploma programs in Tennessee (even though their NCLEX pass rate was 75%). The BON refused to allow them to set up in the state because they felt the program did not meet the minimum standards. Anyway, this company that owns the school set out to get rid of the BON so it could set up its school here. Someone asked who would be over our licenses then and the president said nursing would be put under the physicians rule. This made a lot of people start flopping around in the floor but the president assured us that the TNA took care of it and this was a good reason to join (at $240 a year.)

I'm a bit skeptical. She couldn't tell us the name of the school and wouldn't tell us the name of the company, but does anyone know anything about this?

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Specializes in Trauma.

Hmmm, I would certainly do your homework on that. As far as I'm aware, the only way nurses could fall under a physicians would be b/c our scope of practice was taken away from us. But, that would be a lot of work, I believe. I could be totally wrong on this. I know for a fact we're independent practitioners of the doctors, unlike the PA's who have to work under direction of an MD.

I would get the name of the school and business first before giving money. I'm definitely an advocate to become part of your nursing association. But why not the ANA? The ANA is the American Nurses Association. In my humble opinion, if every nurse became a member of the ANA, our voices and power would be sooo MUCH MORE. I'm happily a member!

Just my .02 though:)

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I would get the name of the school and business first before giving money. I'm definitely an advocate to become part of your nursing association. But why not the ANA? The ANA is the American Nurses Association. In my humble opinion, if every nurse became a member of the ANA, our voices and power would be sooo MUCH MORE. I'm happily a member!

Just my .02 though:)

I wasn't about to open my checkbook, not even maybe. That was just an FYI.

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Specializes in Emergency, MCCU, Surgical/ENT, Hep Trans.

It is going to be very difficult for any "company" to get rid of a state/public created board, esp one that has a glaring "conflict of interest" with the business you are mentioning. There are already many broad choices for students in our great state to pursue nursing, some public, private and government supported.

I'd be careful and like CityKat stated, do your homework. The TNA is a private company, which, as part of the ANA, supports the majority of nursing's interests, including producing quality nurses. With a pass rate of 75%, I'm sure the ANA/TNA and TN BON would all be in agreement on the issue of this companies "expansion" into a state with a great track record on the NCLEX. They'd probably give them some old fashion advice on how to improve scores.

As far as lobbying to get rid of the BON, hogwash! Brother Phil wouldn't even given them the time of day.

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I find this hard to believe.

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I don't know anything about the specific situation in TN, but I do know that there are states where the BON is a subsidiary of the state medical licensing board -- I was surprised to find that was the case in CT a number of years ago, when I moved there temporarily.

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