SB 2427

In order to be eligible to receive a medication aide certificate from the board of nursing ("board""), present law requires an applicant to meet certain criteria. One such criteria is to have passed a standardized examination. This bill revises that specific criteria to, instead, be that the applicant have a standardized knowledge and skill examination within a maximum of two attempts. Further, this bill requires the applicant to meet at least one of the following requirements:  Have practiced as a certified nurse aide for at least one year in a nursing home, assisted-care living facility, or a program for all-inclusive care for the elderly (PACE) .  Have practiced as a licensed occupational therapy assistant for at least one year in a nursing home, assisted-care living facility, or a PACE .  Be a student in good standing enrolled in an approved school of nursing, as defined by the board of nursing. Additionally, this bill also requires the board to issue a medication aide certificate to an applicant meeting the following alternative criteria for nursing school students:  The applicant is a student in good standing enrolled in an approved school of nursing, as defined by the board of nursing.  Has completed courses providing education regarding the basic nursing fundamentals and foundations, basic pharmacology, and medication administration portions of the nursing program with a sufficient passing grade. MEDICATION AIDE TRAINING PROGRAMS Present law requires a qualified entity seeking approval to provide a medication aide training program to apply to the board of nursing on a form prescribed and provided by the board, along with the applicable fee established by the board. The board must approve the applicant if the applicant is a qualified entity, or a combination of qualified entities, and if the content of the course of instruction to be provided by the program meets the standards, specified by the board, and includes:  At least 60 hours of instruction, consisting of 40 classroom hours and 20 clinical hours. The board i s to determine the standard minimum curriculum, which must include appropriate instruction to enable communication, attention to safety, knowledge of medications, and other factors as determined necessary by the board; and be completed either in person or through distance learning.  A supervised clinical practice component that includes an approved medication aide training program sufficient to assure that students are prepared to administer medications as a medication aide in a safe and effective manner and that (i) consists of 20 hours, including experience in tasks related to the administration of medication, and that is conducted under the direction and supervision of a licensed nurse; (ii) requires any licensed nursing home, assisted care living facility, or PACE participating in the training program to have a written agreement to provide licensed nurse supervision of the student; and (iii) requires supervision of a student engaged in medication administration by a licensed nurse. This bill adds that the program must include arrangements to ensure a class of students completes the program in a minimum of 14 days but a maximum of 90 days from the start date of the class. RULEMAKING GUIDELINES Present law requires the board to adopt rules to implemen t present law provisions relative to medication aides . These rules must take effect no later than January 1, 2017, and must, at a minimum, establish or specify the following:  Fees, in an amount sufficient to cover the costs the board incurs in implementing the rules.  Procedures for renewal of medication aide certificates.  Grounds for discipline of applicants or certificate holders, or both.  Standards for approval of peer support programs for the holders of medication aide certificates.  Procedures for approval or denial of medication aide training programs. This bill requires any rules adopted regarding the evaluation of a program's overall test taker examination pass rate must base the calculation on the number of students who successfully pass the standardized knowledge and skill examination within two attempts regardless of whether a candidate passes on the candidate's first or second attempt. This bill authorizes the board, at its discretion, to grant certification to a person as a medication aide if:  The person is certified, licensed, or registered and in good standing in another state as a medication aide, or an equivalent title.  The requirements for approval in such other state are as stringent as required by this bill. This bill authorizes t he board to adopt rules regarding the administrative process for an individual to obtain certification as a medication aide. Such rules may delegate to administrative staff of the board of nursing the authority to approve an application from a person meeting the requirements of this bill."