Georgia Board of Nursing
237 Coliseum Drive
Macon, Georgia 31217
(478) 207-2440 phone
(877) 371-5712 fax
www.sos.ga.gov/plb/rn

Update from the Director of the Professional Licensing Boards:
The last quarter of the year is one of the busiest processing times for the staff at PLB.  We have twelve different license types in renewal during the period along with a number of December graduates applying for various licenses.  For existing license holders, our on-line renewal process allows us to process in excess of 92% of our renewals with very nominal staff involvement.  It also provides our customers with a process that is fast, efficient, paperless and accurate.

For the new graduates, we now have 32 on-line applications available for those applying for their first license with us.  This enables some new graduates to go on-line, register, apply for licensure and pay their fees.  This  paperless system allows the staff to process applications much quicker to the benefit of the applicant who can receive their license and go to work much faster than in the past.  We are planning more on-line applications for the near future.

As we begin the year 2010, we will continue to offer more services on-line and strive to improve our processing times.  For license holders, please keep your personal information up to date and accurate so our transactions with you can be faster and more accurate. 

Regards,
Randy Vaughn
Director of the Professional Licensing Boards

The Georgia Board of Nursing consists of eight members: seven registered nurses and one consumer member. Typically, the Board meets six times each year. Board meetings are open to the public, with the exception of executive session, in which confidential matters such as complaints, disciplinary items, and applications are discussed.

Registered Nurses engage in the care of the ill, and promote and maintain health among individuals and groups. This care is delivered as a result of an assessment of the health status, establishment of a nursing diagnosis, setting nursing goals based upon the identified needs, and then implementing and evaluating the care delivered.

Advanced practice registered nurses include Nurse Practitioners (NP), Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA), Clinical Nurse Specialists, Psych/Mental Health (CNS,PMH) and Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM). Advanced nursing practice is practice by a registered professional nurse who meets the educational, practice, and national certification requirements specified by the Georgia Board of Nursing, and is authorized to practice by the Board.

Minutes from the Board meetings can be found on the Board’s website: www.sos.ga.gov/plb/rn.

2010 Meeting Dates:

January 13, 2010 at 10:00 a.m.
January 14-15, 2010 at 8:30 a.m.
March 17, 2010 at 10:00 a.m.
March 18-19, 2010 at 8:30 a.m.
May 12, 2010 at 10:00 a.m.
May 13-14, 2010 at 8:30 a.m.

The Board meets at the Professional Licensing Board office in Macon.

July 14, 2010 at 10:00 a.m.
July 15-16, 2010 at 8:30 a.m.
September 15, 2010 at 10:00 a.m.
September 16-17, 2010 at 8:30 a.m.
November 17, 2010 at 10:00 a.m.
November 18-19, 2010 at 8:30 a.m.

Board Members:

Board Staff:

Sandy Bond
Executive Director
Georgia Board of Nursing

Number of Active Licensees:

Advanced Practice, CRNA: 1,768
Advanced Practice, CNM: 430
Advanced Practice, NP: 4,359
Advanced Practice, CNS/PMH: 312
Registered Professional Nurse: 105,279
Licensed Undergraduate Nurse: 13

Actions Taken by the Georgia Board of Nursing

November: The Board suspended the following license:

• Paul Patrick Serdula, Marietta

The Board moved based upon review and documentation of compliance with rules relating to annual reports, the most recent site visit report and responses to recommendations, and overall passing percentage of at least eighty (80%) (281/304, 92.4%) of all first-time NCLEX-RN writers over the last four years (2005-2008), Full Approval for the Associate Degree Nursing Program at Gordon College is extended through December 31, 2013. [410-3-.02 (2) (a)] Unless another reason presents itself, the next site visit will be scheduled for the 2012-2013 academic year. [410-3-.01 (8)]

The Board moved based upon review and documentation of compliance with rules relating to annual reports, the most recent site visit report and responses to recommendations, and overall passing percentage of at least eighty (80%) (374/428, 87.3%) of all first-time NCLEX-RN writers over the last four years (2005-2008), Full Approval for the Associate Degree Nursing Program at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College is extended through December 31, 2013. [410-3-.02 (2) (a)] Unless another reason presents itself, the next site visit will be scheduled for the 2012-2013 academic year. [410-3-.01 (8)]

The Board acknowledged the 22-month and 20-month Reports submitted by Atlanta Technical College in support of its proposed Associate Degree Nursing Program and in order for Developmental Approval to be considered, a written description based upon a recent site visit, a written agreement, and letter of support from the nurse administrator for each proposed practice setting must be submitted.

The Board moved to deny Developmental Approval to the proposed Associate Degree Nursing Program at Waycross College due to noncompliance with Rules 410-4-.01 (1), (2), and (3) in terms of the absence of University System of Georgia Board of Regents approval, insufficient evidence of rationale for the establishment of an associate degree nursing program, and incomplete practice setting and fiscal information.

The Board approved the off-campus offering submitted by Thomas University for its RN/BSN Program at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital to begin in January 2010.

The Board approved the proposal for an off-campus offering submitted by West Georgia Technical College for its Associate Degree Nursing Program at its LaGrange campus beginning in July 2010.
The Board approved the Accelerated One-Day LPN/AD Advanced Placement Track submitted by Bainbridge College to begin in the Summer 2010 semester.

The Board accepted the following public consent order:

• Danny Kay Fleming, Buford: Suspension, felony first offender, criminal attempt to obtain controlled substances.

The Board accepted the following public reprimand:

• Connie Marie Fenn King, Louisville, AL: Course in medication administration, administering IV fluids without a physician’s order.

The Board suspended the following licenses:

• Tommie Lee Schell, Norman Park: Student loan default.
• Melandy Antoinette Wallace, Warner Robins: Student loan default.
• Bridget Denise (Chastain) Upshaw, Alpharetta: Student loan default.
• Patrick LaTodd Talton, Macon: Student loan default.
• Tera Cherie McAllister, Macon: Indefinitely, felony forgery.

The Board accepted voluntary surrenders from the following individuals:

• Jillian S. Baker, Lindale
• Peggy Maureen Lehner O’Shea, Hephzibah
• James Story Perryman, Macon
• Barbara Jayne Dalton Thomas, Dallas

The Board accepted a cease and desist order from the following individual:

• Anne Beatrice Kay Moore, Stockbridge

EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY!

Upon receipt of your original pocket card, note the expiration date.  THE BOARD WILL NOT MAIL RENEWAL NOTICES, NOTIFICATION WILL BE SENT BY EMAIL IF YOU HAVE AN EMAIL ADDRESS ON FILE WITH THE BOARD.  A renewal notice will be mailed out only to those without email addresses. It is your responsibility to renew your license on or prior to your expiration date.  Paper renewals will only be available by request.  If you need a paper renewal, you may contact the Georgia Board of Nursing at (478) 207-2440.

It is the nurse’s responsibility to notify the Georgia Board of Nursing of any changes in demographic information, which would include any change in email addresses.

All registered nurses and nursing students are able to sign up for important Board updates at www.sos.ga.gov/plb/rn/, under online services, to receive Board news.

License Renewals:

Licenses expire as follows:

Advanced Practice CNM: January 31
Advanced Practice CNS/PMH: January 31
Advanced Practice CRNA: January 31
Advanced Practice NP: January 31
Registered Professional Nurse: January 31
Licensed Undergraduate Nurse: January 31 of odd numbered years

It is illegal to practice nursing with an expired license.

Fingerprint-Based Criminal Background Check:

Criminal background checks are required by O.C.G.A. § 43-26-7. The GAPS fingerprint background check process is simple and easy to use. Applicants must register with Cogent Systems prior to going to the fingerprint site. There will be no data collection or registration at the fingerprint collection sites. Fingerprint services will not be provided to applicants who have not registered. Registration may be completed online or over the phone. To register online, go to www.ga.cogentid.com. Online registration is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To register by phone, dial 1.888.439.2512 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST. The data collected from the applicant during the registration process is the same data collected on the fingerprint cards. When registering, the ORI number to use when prompted is GA922931Z. The Verification Code is 922931Z.

How do I renew my license? 

You may renew your license on the Professional Licensing Board website with a credit card. Click on the “License Renewal” icon and follow the instructions. You will be asked a series of questions including whether you have been arrested, convicted or received a board sanction since your last renewal, and whether or not you are a U.S. citizen. Renewing your license via the website is the fastest way to renew your license.

The Professional Licensing Boards do not mail paper renewals unless requested. A paper renewal form may be requested by the licensee by calling the Board office at (478) 207-2440, or submitting a written request. Licensees may also call our automated system at (404) 463-1100 and request a paper renewal form using their personal identification number included in their renewal notice.

Disciplinary Issues:

The board addresses disciplinary issues on a case-by-case basis and takes these matters very seriously applying sanctions to those who violate the Georgia Board of Nursing Board rules, and policies. It is important that licensees review all laws, rules and policies that affect their profession. These may be found on the Board’s website at www.sos.ga.gov/plb/rn/.

All public disciplinary actions will be reflected in the Board minutes which may be found on our website. Public disciplinary actions may be found on our website at www.sos.ga.gov/plb/publicorders/ .

Grounds for denial, suspension, revocation of a license, or other disciplinary actions may be found at O.C.G.A. § 43-26-11 and at O.C.G.A. § 43-1-19. State laws and Board rules may be found on our website.

Georgia Board of Nursing Complaints Process Information:

The Georgia General Assembly created the Georgia Board of Nursing to regulate the licensing and practice of nursing. The responsibility of administering the laws in O.C.G.A. § 43-26 is given to the Board, whose members are appointed by the Governor. The Board determines if applicants meet licensure requirements, promulgates rules, and considers complaints against licensees and allegations of unlicensed practice. The process for addressing complaints is as follows:

Complaint Form:

Violations and complaints must be reported and received by the Board in writing. Written complaints may be submitted to the Board office or be submitted on-line at http://sos.georgia.gov/myverification/submitcomplaint.aspx. Documents received in connection with a complaint will not be returned. The complaint must contain sufficient factual evidence to indicate a clear violation of Georgia law or Board rule(s).

Investigations:

The Board gives serious consideration to all complaints. Further investigative action may be taken. Should you file a complaint, you may be contacted by a Board inspector or investigator for additional information. Investigative files are considered confidential for any purpose other than a hearing before the Board. However, the Board is authorized to release such records to another enforcement agency or lawful licensing authority

Notification Process:

While the investigation is ongoing, the Board is unable to discuss the status of a complaint with anyone, including the complainant. When the board has made a final decision in the matter and the case is considered complete, the complainant and the licensee are notified of the result by letter. All public disciplinary actions will be reflected in the Board minutes which may be found on our website. Public disciplinary actions may be found on our website at www.sos.ga.gov/plb/publicorders/ .

Frequently Asked Questions:

A list of frequently asked questions may be found on the Board’s website. If you cannot find an answer to your question, you may contact the Board office at (478) 207-2440.