Ask Governor Lee to Waive Nursing Restrictions to Combat COVID-19
Ask Governor Lee to Waive Nursing Restrictions to Combat COVID-19
The Issue
State Capitol, 1st Floor
600 Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. Blvd. Nashville, TN 37243
Governor Lee,
In the coming weeks and months, Tennessee will continue to see a growing need for medical professionals to help respond to these unique and challenging times. Nurses are essential to our ability to test for this virus, provide care for COVID-19 patients, and to continue providing other essential health care services
As the onset and quick spread of COVID-19 pandemic causes national unrest and economic fragility, nursing shortages are happening across hospitals in every county of Tennessee. Nurses in facilities state and nationwide are being overworked and pushed to their limits. We know from prior research that understaffing directly results in missed patient care, increased incidences of failure to rescue, and unsafe working conditions for staff.
My classmates and I would have graduated and prepared to sit for state licensure to become RN’s in just 47 days. There are thousands of other nursing students across the state that are in the same position. Additionally, there are thousands of December 2019 graduates who cannot move forward in their practice due to haults on administering the NCLEX. We as senior nursing students are feeling helpless and want to use what training we have to help out during this crisis.
I am writing to you to encourage you to follow in the admirable footsteps of Governor Greg Abbott. I am asking that you waive regulations to allow for the following actions: allow retired nurses to reactivate their licenses, allow temporary permit extensions to graduate nurses and graduate vocational nurses who have not yet taken a licensing exam, allow senior nursing students to sit for state licensure after requirements are fulfilled. In the words of Gov. Abbott, “Suspending these regulations will allow us to bring additional skilled nurses into the workforce to assist with our efforts and enhance our COVID-19 response." Additionally, more new nurses to fight the pandemic will equip us with valuable skills and experience that will be essential there if a second outbreak occurs later on. Thank you for your time and consideration, Governor Lee. I am praying for you as you make hard decisions that affect millions of Tennesseans.
Thank you,
Sarah Anderson
ETSU College of Nursing, Class of 2020
The Issue
State Capitol, 1st Floor
600 Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. Blvd. Nashville, TN 37243
Governor Lee,
In the coming weeks and months, Tennessee will continue to see a growing need for medical professionals to help respond to these unique and challenging times. Nurses are essential to our ability to test for this virus, provide care for COVID-19 patients, and to continue providing other essential health care services
As the onset and quick spread of COVID-19 pandemic causes national unrest and economic fragility, nursing shortages are happening across hospitals in every county of Tennessee. Nurses in facilities state and nationwide are being overworked and pushed to their limits. We know from prior research that understaffing directly results in missed patient care, increased incidences of failure to rescue, and unsafe working conditions for staff.
My classmates and I would have graduated and prepared to sit for state licensure to become RN’s in just 47 days. There are thousands of other nursing students across the state that are in the same position. Additionally, there are thousands of December 2019 graduates who cannot move forward in their practice due to haults on administering the NCLEX. We as senior nursing students are feeling helpless and want to use what training we have to help out during this crisis.
I am writing to you to encourage you to follow in the admirable footsteps of Governor Greg Abbott. I am asking that you waive regulations to allow for the following actions: allow retired nurses to reactivate their licenses, allow temporary permit extensions to graduate nurses and graduate vocational nurses who have not yet taken a licensing exam, allow senior nursing students to sit for state licensure after requirements are fulfilled. In the words of Gov. Abbott, “Suspending these regulations will allow us to bring additional skilled nurses into the workforce to assist with our efforts and enhance our COVID-19 response." Additionally, more new nurses to fight the pandemic will equip us with valuable skills and experience that will be essential there if a second outbreak occurs later on. Thank you for your time and consideration, Governor Lee. I am praying for you as you make hard decisions that affect millions of Tennesseans.
Thank you,
Sarah Anderson
ETSU College of Nursing, Class of 2020
Petition Closed
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Petition created on March 23, 2020