Rules eased to allow out-of-state nurses

HONOLULU — Gov. David Ige has approved and signed into effect emergency rules authorizing out-of-state nurses to temporarily practice in Hawaiʻi upon meeting certain requirements without applying for and obtaining a license.

Enacted through the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, the rules amend Hawai‘i Administrative Rules to allow for nurses to practice temporarily by endorsement and submission of a list of required information from a health-care entity.

Each health-care entity would submit a credentialed list containing the names of each participating nurse, the nurse’s home state, a residential address, an email address, the nurse’s active license number, and a signed verification that the nurse meets certain established criteria set forth in the emergency rules.

“The COVID-19 virus continues to cause a strain on the state’s health-care system, with hospitals throughout our communities reporting serious staffing challenges and conditions,” said Ige.

“This action addresses the immediate peril to public health and ensures that medical professionals may focus on providing critical care to patients,” he said.

“We thank the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, the Department of Health and Gov. Ige for understanding the urgent need for additional health-care staff in Hawaiʻi,” said Healthcare Association of Hawaii President and CEO Hilton Raethel.

“We are very appreciative of the work done by the state to identify this solution. Our hospitals continue to be very full, and we continue to have significant numbers of staff out because of exposure to COVID-19, or with COVID-19 symptoms,” said Raethel.

”This will allow us to bring in the staff we need to continue to ensure that our patients and community receive the care they need,” Raethel said.

The rules are effective immediately for a period of not longer than 120 days. The nurse’s authorization to practice shall be valid for a period of 90 days after the required confirmation.

The emergency rules are available online at https://dcca.hawaii.gov/pvl/files/2022/08/2022-Nurses-Emergency-Rules.pdf.
Source: The Garden Island