‘You could make it a whole lot worse’: Kansas nursing board chief warns against defunding as ‘horrified’ lawmakers pile on pressure

Kansas lawmakers are escalating their criticism of the state nursing board after more nurses testified about being wrongfully labeled with “unprofessional conduct” for simple administrative errors. The House Select Committee on Government Oversight has heard complaints from multiple nurses who say their careers have been damaged by penalties for mistakes like late license renewals or computer errors.

The controversy centers on nurses who claim they received harsh punishments for minor clerical mistakes. Several testified they struggled to find jobs after being marked for “unprofessional conduct” in state and national databases. These penalties reportedly stem from issues like renewing licenses a few days late or clicking the wrong box during online renewal processes.

Carol Moreland, the executive director for the Kansas Board of Nursing, pushed back against calls to defund her agency during recent legislative hearings. “The Board of Nursing affects public protection; it affects the nursing workforce in the state of Kansas,” Moreland said, according to The Hill. “I hear all the time about shortages of nursing. Let me tell you, you could make it a whole lot worse.”

Lawmakers consider drastic measures to reform nursing oversight

The legislative pressure has intensified after additional nurses came forward with similar stories. Amy Siple, a nurse practitioner with 32 years of experience, became a key figure in the controversy after she was investigated for letting her license lapse while caring for her husband who had cancer. She was pressured to sign a consent agreement admitting to unprofessional conduct, which placed her name in multiple databases alongside nurses guilty of serious violations like sexual misconduct.

State Representative Troy Waymaster has emerged as a leading critic of the nursing board’s practices. He called the current system “abhorrent” and said inadvertently letting a license lapse should not be classified as unprofessional conduct. Waymaster has proposed solutions including establishing a grace period for license renewals and even pursuing a constitutional amendment that would give the legislature oversight over the board’s rules and regulations.

Republican legislators have expressed frustration during heated committee meetings, with some calling for firing board employees and completely defunding the agency. Representative Sean Tarwater described one recent meeting as “the most frustrating” of his career and demanded accountability from board officials. Government oversight committees at various levels have increasingly scrutinized regulatory agencies in recent years.

The nursing board oversees more than 70,000 licensees across Kansas. Board officials argued they are understaffed and maintained that their actions protect public safety. However, lawmakers questioned whether the penalties fit the violations, especially as Kansas continues to face significant nursing shortages that require spending millions of dollars on contract nurses to fill gaps in hospitals and healthcare facilities.