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The National Council of State Boards of Nursing is waiting for the Virgin Islands Board of Nurse Licensure (VIBNL) to address the serious licensure challenges it is currently facing. Tanicia Penn, chair of the VIBNL, brought these issues into sharp focus during her recent address to the Senate Committee on Health, Hospitals, and Human Services.
Ms. Penn's remarks on Wednesday, made in the company of other board members, revolved around the critical role that regulatory boards play in protecting the public and maintaining quality standards in healthcare. She made it clear that, according to the Virgin Islands Nurse Practice Act, the VIBNL is the sole entity charged with the regulatory oversight of advanced practice registered nurses, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and certified nursing assistants within the Virgin Islands.
The importance of the board maintaining its autonomy was heavily stressed by Ms. Penn. She expressed concern over potential conflicts of interest that could threaten healthcare safety and claimed that imprecise language in the Nurse Practice Act has led to challenges in the Board’s functioning.
Penn explained, "Legally we have been told that the law as written may be left up to interpretation. Our goal on the board is to eliminate this concern in the future.” She then sought the Legislature's help in refining the Nurse Practice Act and related sections of the Virgin Islands Code to align with national regulatory body standards. She believes that these changes will boost nursing practice standards and ensure safety and efficiency in nursing licensure.
Ms. Penn also provided a detailed account of the challenges the VIBNL is currently grappling with. These include issues related to the authorization of the board’s operations, consistent testing for nurse assistants, conducting criminal background checks, and staff shortages. Further complications have arisen due to the VIBNL’s exclusion from the enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, leading to considerable delays in executing contracts and expending funds.
The National Council of State Boards of Nursing, the overarching body of the VIBNL, has expressed serious concerns over the local board’s issues with autonomy and effective functioning. Senators learned that unless these problems are rectified, the VIBNL risks losing its good standing status—a development that could have dire consequences for nursing within the Virgin Islands territory.