From the Chair

Greetings. The next meeting of the Virgin Islands Board of Nurse Licensure will be held at the St. Thomas Board office on Thursday, September 21st. The Board invites comments, questions or concerns from the nursing community to be submitted in writing prior to the Board meeting for inclusion on the agenda. The agenda for the September Board meeting will be posted on this site a week prior to the Board meeting.

The hiring process for the Executive Director for the Board has still not been completed, but we continue to be hopeful and optimistic that this process will come to a completion soon. The previous Executive Director retired November 2005 and our candidate has been waiting for her contract to be completely executed since that time.

Some current initiatives that the Board is working on include establishment of a mechanism for nurses to do online renewals of licenses. We also are moving towards full participation in the National Council of State Boards of Nursing NURSYS Databank, which would allow for verifications of licenses here in the Territory to be completed online. The Board is preparing to print and have available copies of the latest VIBNL Rules and Regulations for licensees who request a copy.

Ongoing activities of the Board include review and investigation of all reported complaints, approval of all nursing education programs in the Territory including BSN, ADN, LPN, and CNA programs. The Board provides responses in the form of opinions on practice issues referred to the Board, as well as responds to questions relating to scope of practice, and other areas of concern to practicing nurses. THe Board is also workign with a focus group of advanced practice nurses to research national guidelines regarding home births. The Board continues to work with APRN's with regards to prescriptive privilege, and responds to questions from the community regarding the practice and regulation of nursing in the Territory. The Board members also participate in national discussion and debate by serving on committees at the National Council of State Boards of Nursing to contribute the Territorial Board's perspective to the committee work.

Should you have questions or comments, please feel free to contact the Board office at 776-7397, or write to me at the Board Office and I will respond.

THank you,

Cindy VanWingerden, RN, BSN, MS
Chair, VIBNL