The following is a statement from Sen. Steve Meredith, R-Leitchfield, following Monday’s Interim Joint Committee on Health Services meeting which discussed the Kentucky Board of Nursing mandatory requirement for Kentucky nurses to complete implicit bias training:
“Nobody in Frankfort disputes the seriousness of addressing and discussing ways to address disparities within our healthcare system, including bias, but what is unclear is what disciplinary action may be taken for failure to complete mandatory implicit bias training. Failure to comply with this requirement could put an asterisk next to your name with ambiguous potential disciplinary action in the future.
“We’re facing a dire and immediate need to train and hire healthcare workers. Any obstacles worsening the situation concern me. What keeps me up at night is the thought of Kentuckians in a medical emergency being unable to get the care they need.
“I applaud the nursing board’s openness to re-evaluate this regulation, and I also appreciate its collaboration with the General Assembly on critical pieces of legislation like Senate Bill 10 in 2022, which helps alleviate Kentucky nursing shortages. I look forward to continued dialogue about competency requirements and to further identifying common sense solutions to improve our healthcare system.”
Nationwide, the nursing profession is facing a 25 percent workforce shortage. Kentucky alone is expected to be short 20,000 healthcare workers by 2025.
Currently under 201 KAR 20:215, all certified nurses in Kentucky must complete mandatory implicit bias training to remain in good standing with the Kentucky Board of Nursing.
Click here to access 201 KAR 20:215. Visit legislature.ky.gov to learn more about Senator Steve Meredith.
CLICK HERE to watch the July 24th Interim Joint Committee on Health Services meeting in its entirety.
