Kansas Legislature to question Board of Nursing during meeting

TOPEKA (KSNT) — Kansas lawmakers and nurses alike have raised some concerns about the Kansas Board of Nursing recently. And now, they want answers.

During a Government Oversight Committee meeting in July, nurses from across the state testified against the Kansas Board of Nursing. Health professionals say the board wrongly accused them of “unprofessional conduct,”

a demerit that often makes it difficult for nurses to find jobs in Kansas.

However, several nurses testified they had been given this label for simple mistakes, such as a clicking error while renewing their licenses online. Now, the Government Oversight Committee will be meeting again, and they are hoping for an explanation from the Nursing Board, as more nurses plan to step forward.

One Kansas nurse, Amy Siple, was given the “unprofessional conduct” label after being accused of practicing without a license while she cared for her sick husband. She said that nurses statewide will have to work together to make a change.

“I’d like to see nurses come together and help solve this problem,” Siple said. “We’ve got a plethora of nursing leaders who have come together, and we’ve put forward ideas and suggestions and we’ve given this to the legislature in a way in which we can bring a just culture to the board of nursing. I still want to see nurses regulated by nurses, but we need to create oversight and establish a just culture for the next generation.”

The meeting will take place on Monday, Sept. 8 at the Kansas Capitol building. 27 News has reached out to the Kansas Board of Nursing, which has no comment at this time.

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