Big Sky Times

The Gianforte administration has proposed a new administrative rule that would eliminate all continuing education requirements for registered nurses and advanced practice registered nurses, according to the Daily Montana. The state's largest nursing organization, the Montana Nurses Association, opposes this move. 

The Board of Nursing in Montana voted unanimously to approve the change, arguing that professional organizations and medical practices often set their own continuing education requirements, making the state requirement redundant.

The Daily Montana explains the goal of eliminating the continuing education requirement is to reduce the administrative burden on nurses and allow them to focus on delivering quality health care. However, the Montana Nurses Association and patients do not support this idea, as they believe ongoing education is crucial for nurses to stay updated with changing evidence and data in the healthcare field.

The Board of Nursing does not audit every nurse, but instead, conducts random reviews for compliance. Critics, like Vicky Byrd, the CEO of the Montana Nurses Association, are concerned that dropping the continuing education requirement could jeopardize public trust and compromise patient safety. Byrd spoke with Daily Montana and argues that healthcare protocols change regularly, and ongoing education is necessary to provide safe and effective care.

“The treatment protocol for illnesses or conditions changes weekly. That’s why we offer education and training,” Byrd said to the Daily Montana.

The administration has not disclosed the stakeholders who support the change, which further adds to the opposition's concern. The Montana Nurses Association plays a vital role in providing continuing education courses and accreditations to nurses, and according to the article, they believe that removing this requirement would cripple their ability to do business in the state and impact public safety.

Byrd compares the requirement to other professions, like pharmacists, respiratory care providers, real estate agents and barbers, who all have training requirements. The proposed rule could lead to Montana becoming an outlier in terms of professional licensure requirements, potentially affecting the state's healthcare system negatively.