{"title":"POLICY PERSPECTIVE: The artificial intelligence will see you now","authors":"Nicole Livanos","doi":"10.1016/j.jnr.2025.06.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jnr.2025.06.001","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":46153,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Nursing Regulation","volume":"16 2","pages":"Pages 133-135"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144653376","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Characteristics of entry-level nurses: Does the NCLEX definition still apply?","authors":"Nicole Williams , Steven G. Viger , Hong Qian","doi":"10.1016/j.jnr.2025.06.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jnr.2025.06.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>During the initial licensure period, entry-level nurses face several challenges, such as providing complex care in an ever-evolving healthcare landscape, prioritizing care, role actualization, and more. As the demands in healthcare continue to evolve, it is crucial to understand prevalent entry-level nursing characteristics and practice behaviors and their duration.</div></div><div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>This study aimed to explore the length of time that entry-level nurse characteristics endure, thus describing the entry-level period.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Using a mixed-method design with a sample of 193 nurses, a 15-min presentation and discussion regarding the characteristics and practice behaviors of entry-level nurses was facilitated and followed by the administration of a one-question survey that asked, “Does the current NCLEX definition of an entry-level nurse, one with no more than 12 months of experience, still apply?”</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Of the 193 participants, 74 % responded “Yes” to the question, and 26 % responded “No.” Themes such as a perception of increased proportion of entry-level nurses working part-time/per diem, increased clinical demands, and the need for entry-level clinical judgment were noted during the sessions. While the participants represented a diverse group of nurses across the United States and Canada, the small sample size prohibits generalizability.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The study results indicate that the definition of an entry-level nurse as one with no more than 12 months of experience remains relevant. Nurse regulators must understand the importance of establishing a framework to define the nursing entry-level period, as this vital time frame creates a basis for licensure assessment and support during the new licensure period.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":46153,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Nursing Regulation","volume":"16 2","pages":"Pages 75-81"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144655596","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The critical intersection of research and practice in regulation","authors":"Carol Anne Timmings","doi":"10.1016/j.jnr.2025.06.010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jnr.2025.06.010","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":46153,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Nursing Regulation","volume":"16 2","pages":"Page 57"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144655594","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Patrick Chiu , Nasrin Alostaz , Apple Hermosisima , Rio Li , Houssem Eddine Ben-Ahmed , Jelena Atanackovic , Damilola Iduye , Natalie Thiessen , Bukola Salami , Kathleen Leslie
{"title":"Licensure pathways for internationally educated nurses: An environmental scan of Canadian nursing regulatory bodies","authors":"Patrick Chiu , Nasrin Alostaz , Apple Hermosisima , Rio Li , Houssem Eddine Ben-Ahmed , Jelena Atanackovic , Damilola Iduye , Natalie Thiessen , Bukola Salami , Kathleen Leslie","doi":"10.1016/j.jnr.2025.06.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jnr.2025.06.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Licensure pathways for internationally educated nurses (IENs) in Canada have historically been criticized for being too lengthy, complex, and costly. Reforms to streamline IEN licensure have been inconsistent across Canadian jurisdictions, with limited evidence regarding which licensure pathways best support equitable and ethical regulatory policies for IENs.</div></div><div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>The present study aimed to map the regulatory landscape to identify key characteristics, similarities, and differences in IEN licensure requirements and explore the options available to meet these requirements across Canadian nursing regulators.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We conducted an environmental scan of 20 Canadian nursing regulators’ websites. Data were extracted and organized into Excel spreadsheets to facilitate comparisons and were analyzed using directed content analysis.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Findings were organized into two broad categories: licensure requirements and options for meeting these requirements. Licensure requirements were broadly similar across jurisdictions and nursing designations (e.g., licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, registered psychiatric nurses), with certain notable exceptions, including recency or currency of practice requirements and expedited pathways available for IENs from specific countries. The options available to meet licensure requirements varied significantly, creating a potentially confusing patchwork of reforms across nursing regulators that could create inequities in IEN licensure and integration.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The variation in options to meet licensure requirements highlights the need for greater efforts to harmonize and simplify IEN licensure across Canada. Further research is required to evaluate the impact and feasibility of reforms to identify long-term, sustainable, ethical, and equitable solutions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":46153,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Nursing Regulation","volume":"16 2","pages":"Pages 99-110"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144655598","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Design and development of a regulatory framework for assessing nurse and midwife controlled drug prescribing in British Columbia","authors":"Darlene Secong, Alison Wainwright","doi":"10.1016/j.jnr.2025.06.009","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jnr.2025.06.009","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Harm reduction initiatives were introduced in the Canadian province of British Columbia (BC) to prevent overdose deaths and minimize harms posed by illicit opioids. Initiatives included the expansion of opioid agonist prescribing authority to include registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses and the introduction of a low-barrier safer supply program to improve access to prescribed pharmaceutical alternatives to illicit drugs. In response to the increase in controlled drug prescribing, the licensing and regulatory body for nurses and midwives, the BC College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM), began work to develop a regulatory prescription monitoring program. Designed as a component of BCCNM's Quality Assurance Program, the prescription monitoring program will utilize available prescribing data to review and assess the prescribing practices of nurses and midwives against standards of practice. Although prescription monitoring programs are widely used to monitor the prescribing and dispensing of opioids and other controlled substances, such programs historically have not been designed to include nonmedical prescribers. In the present article, we describe the process undertaken to develop the new program for monitoring and assessing the prescribing of nurses and midwives. We review relevant literature, describe our use of journey and process mapping, and discuss lessons learned and future state considerations as we work toward program implementation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":46153,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Nursing Regulation","volume":"16 2","pages":"Pages 127-132"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144655600","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tamar Rodney , Tammy Slater , Alyssa C. Hamel , Zoe Spyralatos , Khadejah F. Mahmoud , Deborah S. Finnell
{"title":"Substance use–related content in advanced practice nursing curricula: A scoping review","authors":"Tamar Rodney , Tammy Slater , Alyssa C. Hamel , Zoe Spyralatos , Khadejah F. Mahmoud , Deborah S. Finnell","doi":"10.1016/j.jnr.2025.06.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jnr.2025.06.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Funding opportunities within the last decade were aimed at addressing the deficits in substance use-related content that have existed for decades. In the face of the opioid crisis, efforts have been undertaken to increase access to treatment using the advanced practice nursing workforce. There continues to be a pressing need to ensure that students are prepared to identify, treat, and manage people with substance use disorders.</div></div><div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>To identify educational enhancements that have been made related to substance use–related content in graduate nursing curricula.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This scoping review followed the five-stage process described by Arksey and O’Malley (2005) to answer the question, “What is the current state of the literature on educational content related to substance use for preparation of advanced practice nursing students?</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The review included 23 publications spanning an 8-year period from 2015 to 2023. Curricular approaches were augmenting existing courses with substance use content or providing dedicated courses focusing on substance use. Most of the publications included content related to screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT). The content, amount of time to deliver, and placement across the curriculum was inconsistent across the set of publications.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>It is essential to ensure that the next generation of advanced practice nurses has the requisite knowledge, skills, and attitudes to care for people at risk for and with a substance use disorder. This scoping review serves as an incentive for nurse educators who have or are undertaking curricular enhancements to disseminate their work.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":46153,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Nursing Regulation","volume":"16 2","pages":"Pages 58-74"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144655595","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lohitvenkatesh Oswal , Mary Sue Gorski , Catherine Woodard
{"title":"Potential discrimination in nursing complaint intake cases","authors":"Lohitvenkatesh Oswal , Mary Sue Gorski , Catherine Woodard","doi":"10.1016/j.jnr.2025.06.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jnr.2025.06.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Many leading nursing and healthcare organizations have called for discrimination against patients and nurses to be addressed. Discrimination has been identified as a factor contributing to nursing workforce shortages and other prominent issues. However, few existing studies have looked at regulation or disciplinary cases in particular.</div></div><div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>Closed Washington State Board of Nursing (WABON) disciplinary cases were reviewed to identify instances of discrimination that may have been better addressed through opening the case for investigation.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Fifty-nine closed nursing complaint cases were found across 6 months that had elements of implicit and explicit bias and potential discrimination. A descriptive qualitative approach was used to characterize the types of discrimination that arose in our collected cases.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Of 59 total collected cases, discrimination was identified across 37 cases (62.7 %). Among the 9 types of discrimination identified, race (15 cases), disability (12 cases), and sex (10 cases) were the most commonly identified types of discrimination. Many cases reported multiple instances of discrimination—a total of 57 references to a type of discrimination were found across the 37 cases. Intersectional discrimination was noted among cases that referenced two or more types of discrimination.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>This study will be used to better understand discrimination complaints and improve intake processes for these cases. At the WABON, we used study results to improve disciplinary processes: updating our complaint intake form with new questions regarding discrimination, updating our criteria for opening cases, and publishing a policy statement on discrimination.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":46153,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Nursing Regulation","volume":"16 2","pages":"Pages 92-98"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144656117","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Richard A. Smiley MS, MA, Nicole Kaminski-Ozturk PhD, Michaela Reid BS, BA, Patricia Burwell PhD, Carrie M. Oliveira PhD, Yetty Shobo PhD, Richard L. Allgeyer PhD, Elizabeth Zhong PhD, Charlie O’Hara PhD, Audrey Volk BS, Brendan Martin PhD
{"title":"The 2024 National Nursing Workforce Survey","authors":"Richard A. Smiley MS, MA, Nicole Kaminski-Ozturk PhD, Michaela Reid BS, BA, Patricia Burwell PhD, Carrie M. Oliveira PhD, Yetty Shobo PhD, Richard L. Allgeyer PhD, Elizabeth Zhong PhD, Charlie O’Hara PhD, Audrey Volk BS, Brendan Martin PhD","doi":"10.1016/S2155-8256(25)00047-X","DOIUrl":"10.1016/S2155-8256(25)00047-X","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><strong>Background:</strong> Every 2 years, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) and the National Forum of State Nursing Workforce Centers (Forum) conduct the largest and most comprehensive national survey of the U.S. nursing workforce. The survey generates data on the supply of registered nurses (RNs), including advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) and licensed practical nurses/licensed vocational nurses (LPNs/LVNs). The findings provide critical insight into the demographic and practice profiles of the nation’s nursing workforce in 2024 and, in doing so, inform both state and national policy. <strong>Purpose:</strong> To provide accurate and reliable data to support sustainable nursing workforce planning and thereby ensure a safe and effective healthcare system. <strong>Methods:</strong> This study used a mixed-mode approach to capture a representative sample of the nursing workforce in the U.S. A survey was mailed to a randomized sample of licensed RNs and LPNs/LVNs in 24 jurisdictions, supplemented by an email-based survey to a randomized sample of licensed RNs and LPNs/LVNs in 18 jurisdictions, and data from Nursys e-Notify for 10 jurisdictions. Data from RN and LPN/LVN respondents were collected between March 25, 2024, and December 31, 2024. Data include, but are not limited to, nurse demographics, educational attainment, employment status, and practice characteristics. <strong>Results:</strong> The total number of active RN and LPN/LVN licenses in the United States at the start of 2024 was 5,641,311 and 968,948, respectively. The median age of both RNs and LPNs/LVNs was 50 years, which reflects pre- pandemic trends; suggesting some older nurses who departed the workforce during the pandemic returned in the ensuing two-year period. The shift also may indicate a more stable workforce, although apparent declines among younger nurses warrant further investigation. An average of 88% of all nurses who maintain licensure are employed in nursing with just under three-quarters working full-time. Hospitals and nursing homes/extended care facilities continue to be the primary practice settings for RNs and LPNs/LVNs. Over the past decade, the proportions of male and Hispanic/Latino nurses have grown, leading to greater diversity in the nursing ranks, but people of color and men are still underrepresented in the workforce relative to the nation’s population. The educational attainment of the nursing profession is increasing, with more than 73% of RNs now in possession of a baccalaureate degree or higher. While reported levels of emotional exhaustion, including burnout, and workloads have moderated over the past 2 years, about 40% of nurses report they plan to leave nursing or retire over the next 5 years. Inflation and increased demand for nursing services likely contributed to notable wage growth across the country. <strong>Conclusion:</strong> Amid the emergency phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, the nursing workforce","PeriodicalId":46153,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Nursing Regulation","volume":"16 1","pages":"Pages S1-S88"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143838868","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cynthia Sherraden Bradley , Ann Loomis , Linda DiClemente , Carol Flaten , Shakir Rahman , Marshall K. Muehlbauer , Kyle Johnson , Michelle Mathiason , Michelle Aebersold
{"title":"Enhancing nursing competence and knowledge: Evaluating the impact of immersive virtual reality in nursing education","authors":"Cynthia Sherraden Bradley , Ann Loomis , Linda DiClemente , Carol Flaten , Shakir Rahman , Marshall K. Muehlbauer , Kyle Johnson , Michelle Mathiason , Michelle Aebersold","doi":"10.1016/j.jnr.2025.04.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jnr.2025.04.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Immersive virtual reality (IVR) is emerging as an innovative simulation method, offering a controlled environment to demonstrate competencies. However, there remains a gap in evidence regarding its impact on outcomes. Little is known regarding how IVR can be used in clinical education, highlighting the need for research to inform regulatory guidance.</div></div><div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>The aim of the present study was to test the impact of newly developed multipatient IVR scenarios on baccalaureate, senior nursing students’ knowledge and clinical competence.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Five multipatient IVR scenarios were co-developed and integrated into a senior-level course at three sites. Participants completed each scenario using the Meta Quest 2 virtual reality headset and then participated in a reflective debriefing. Participants completed the Multipatient Knowledge Assessment Scale (MKAS) before the scenario and after the debriefing. The data analytics were aligned with four subscales of the Creighton Competency Evaluation Instrument-Clinical (CCEI-C). The CCEI-C was used to assess competence in direct patient care at the midterm and final clinical evaluations.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Three-hundred thirty-two students completed the research activities and consented to participate. MKAS scores improved after the third, fourth, and fifth scenarios, with the improvements being statistically significant for the fourth and fifth scenarios (<em>p</em> = 0.001). CCEI-C percentages improved from the first to the fifth scenario for the clinical judgment subscale (64 %–72 %) and patient safety subscale (62 %–68 %). CCEI-C scores assessed in patient care settings improved from the midterm to the final evaluation.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>IVR has the potential to enhance the knowledge and clinical competence of nursing students by providing standardized virtual opportunities for independent decision-making and realistic practice. Further research is needed to inform regulation of the use of IVR simulation as clinical education.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":46153,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Nursing Regulation","volume":"16 1","pages":"Pages 2-9"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144184730","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}