Report 2019-120 Recommendation 2 Responses

Report 2019-120: Board of Registered Nursing: It Has Failed to Use Sufficient Information When Considering Enrollment Decisions for New and Existing Nursing Programs (Release Date: July 2020)

Recommendation #2 To: Registered Nursing, Board of

To better ensure that California has an appropriate number of nurses in the future, BRN should do the following by January 1, 2021: ensure that the governing board's enrollment decisions and other actions adequately take into consideration the regional analyses in BRN's future workforce forecasts. Specifically, it should amend its policies to require that when its staff present information to the education committee and the governing board to inform them on pending enrollment decisions, staff should include relevant information related to BRN's most recent forecast of the nursing workforce.

6-Month Agency Response

The BRN updated the ELC Liaison manual and the New Hire Orientation manual. Additionally, the BRN completed the NEC training and sent an email reminder to all NECs that the policy is to ensure that the AIS contained in the Board meeting materials and in presentations to the Board by NECs contain relevant information related to BRN's most recent forecast of the nursing workforce, and other relevant regional data, so that such information may be taken into consideration when making enrollment decisions.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Fully Implemented

We reviewed the sections of the ELC Liaison manual and New Hire Orientation manual that BRN provided, as well as its email communication to nursing education staff requiring them to include the relevant regional forecast information and notifying them of the revisions to the manuals. If followed, these policy changes should better ensure the governing board's enrollment decisions and other actions adequately take into consideration the regional analyses in BRN's future workforce forecasts.

60-Day Agency Response

BRN developed policies to require that relevant information related to BRN's most recent forecast of the nursing workforce, and other relevant regional data, be included in agenda item summaries (AIS) contained in board meeting materials, and in presentations to the board by NECs, so that such information may be taken into consideration when making enrollment decisions. BRN is in the process of updating the Education/Licensing Committee (ELC) Liaison manual and the New Hire Orientation manual accordingly. Also, BRN will hold additional training sessions with NECs to ensure all NECs are trained on this updated policy.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending

All Recommendations in 2019-120

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.