Kansas lawmakers press nursing board after nurses say clerical errors left them jobless

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – Kansas lawmakers pressed the State Board of Nursing on Monday to overhaul its rules and practices after hearing testimony from dozens of nurses who say the board’s system is failing them.

Nurses told the select committee that simple mistakes, like clicking the wrong box on a renewal application or missing a deadline by a few days, have led to serious consequences. Many said they were labeled with “unprofessional conduct” and pressured into signing consent agreements, which function like guilty pleas. Those records make it difficult for nurses to find work, even though the errors were often clerical.

Lawmakers questioned board leaders about creating a grace period for license renewals, but the board did not commit to that change. Republican Rep. Sean Tarwater went further, threatening to withhold funds from the board unless it rewrites its rules and regulations.

Committee chair Rep. Kristey Williams, a Republican from Augusta, stopped short of supporting defunding. Instead, she suggested using a select fund to reimburse nurses in cases where penalties were unfair.

“I’m in favor of a complete overhaul,” Williams said. “I’m in favor of making necessary changes in statute.”

The Kansas State Board of Nursing operates as an independent board, where it creates its own rules and regulations. Williams said she wants the board to revise its own rules while the Legislature establishes guardrails, such as a renewal grace period.

During the select committee hearing on Monday, the State Board of Nursing said that it had begun alerting nurses by email that their licenses need to be renewed.

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The Kansas State Board of Nursing has not yet responded to a request for comment.

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