[Histonet] Nurses in charge of labs

[Jennifer MacDonald]

This decision could affect histology labs as well.  Please read below and 
consider the effects of having a nurse in charge of the lab.
Jennifer

Petition Urging CMS to Reconsider Ruling on Nursing Degree Equivalence

ASCLS, in conjunction with our partners on the Board of Certification, 
urge the laboratory community and other interested individuals to Sign the 
Petition urging the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to 
reconsider its position that nursing is a biological science for purposes 
of performing laboratory testing.
[ASCLS_Logo]
Government Affairs Alert


Sign Petition Urging CMS to Reconsider Ruling on Nursing Degree 
Equivalence
ASCLS, in conjunction with our partners on the Board of Certification, 
urge the laboratory community and other interested individuals to Sign the 
Petition urging the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to 
reconsider its position that nursing is a biological science for purposes 
of performing laboratory testing.

Sign the petition here.<
http://weblaunch.blifax.com/listener3/redirect?l=8b3397a5-c6e1-4643-a69c-00f119b9c805&id=ca0c8eaf-ab6f-e611-95c6-0050569f409f&u=http%3a%2f%2fcqrcengage.com%2fascpath%2fapp%2fsign-petition%3f0%26engagementId%3d239813
>

On April 1, CMS announced that “an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in 
nursing is equivalent to an associate’s or bachelor’s degree, 
respectively, in biological science”—seemingly declaring that individuals 
with a nursing degree are potentially as qualified to perform advanced 
testing as certified laboratory professionals. It also appears that CMS’s 
position could allow individuals with as little as a bachelor’s degree in 
nursing to direct a CLIA moderate complexity laboratory and/or serve in 
senior supervisory roles within a CLIA high complexity laboratory. Since 
the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) of 1988 doesn’t 
specifically require clinical training of individuals with a degree in 
biological sciences, CMS’s new policy exempts individuals with a 
bachelor’s degree in nursing from any specific training requirement prior 
to performing high complexity testing for diagnostic purposes.

We have great respect for the work and invaluable services nurses provide 
patients, but we do not agree that the nursing degree is equivalent to a 
biological sciences degree or that it would adequately prepare someone to 
perform non-waived laboratory services.

Our greatest concern is this policy will negatively affect test quality 
and patient outcomes as well as effect access to quality testing services. 
Take a few minutes to Sign the Petition to tell CMS<
http://weblaunch.blifax.com/listener3/redirect?l=cbcef357-c5ab-48dd-87f6-761b108f6837&id=ca0c8eaf-ab6f-e611-95c6-0050569f409f&u=http%3a%2f%2fcqrcengage.com%2fascpath%2fapp%2fsign-petition%3f0%26engagementId%3d239813
> that you believe a degree in nursing is not the same thing as a degree 
in the biological sciences and that appropriate academic coursework and 
clinical training/experience are need to provide quality testing services.







If you have any questions, please direct them to ASCLS Executive Vice 
President Jim Flanigan via email at jimf at ascls.org<mailto:jimf at ascls.org>.



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American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science
1861 International Drive, Suite 200
McLean, Virginia USA 22102
+1.571.748.3770
www.ascls.org<http://www.ascls.org>









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