HF 306 (LSB 2179HV (3) 87)

HOUSE FILE 306

BY  COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RESOURCES

(SUCCESSOR TO HSB 72)

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to the requirements for nurse aide training and testing programs.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.
  NURSE AIDE TRAINING AND TESTING PROGRAMS.

   1.  Pursuant to chapter 249A, the department of human services shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to provide policies and procedures governing the department of inspections and appeals, as the designated department to approve nurse aide training and testing programs. The rules shall provide for all of the following:
   a.  The utilization of online course curricula to meet the required minimum of thirty hours of classroom instruction. However, online instruction shall only include the didactic theory component of the curriculum. Required laboratory experience and supervised clinical training shall be provided in a face-to-face environment.
   b.  A definition of clock hours for the purposes of meeting the required minimum of seventy-five clock hours of training to include classroom instruction, prior equivalent experience, or both.
   c.  A process to allow a veteran, as defined in section 35.1, to be deemed to satisfy the nurse aide training requirements based upon the training and experience acquired through the veteran’s service and to receive a nurse aide certificate of completion. However, a veteran shall still be required to successfully complete the nurse aide competency evaluation in order to meet all requirements for inclusion on the state’s nurse aide registry.
   2.  This Act shall not be interpreted to affect the existing provision by community colleges of nurse aide training certificates of completion and verification of successful completion of the competency evaluation necessary for inclusion of a nurse aide in the state’s nurse aide registry.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill relates to nurse aide training and testing requirements.
   The bill directs the department of human services (DHS) to adopt rules pursuant to Code chapter 17A to provide policies and procedures governing the department of inspections and appeals as the designated department to approve nurse aide training and testing programs. The rules are to provide for all of the following:
   1. The utilization of online course curricula to meet the required minimum of 30 hours of classroom instruction. However, the online instruction is only to cover the didactic theory component of the curriculum. Required laboratory experience and supervised clinical training shall be provided in a face-to-face environment.
   2. A definition of clock hours to include classroom instruction, prior equivalent experience, or both.
   3. A process for a veteran to be deemed to satisfy the nurse aide training requirements based upon the training and experience acquired through the veteran’s service and to receive a nurse aide training certificate of completion. However, the veteran must still successfully complete the nurse aide competency evaluation in order to meet all requirements for inclusion on the state’s nurse aide registry. 
   The bill provides that the bill is not to be interpreted to affect the existing provision by community colleges of nurse aide training certificates of completion and verification of successful completion of the competency evaluation necessary for inclusion of a nurse aide in the state’s nurse aide registry.