Erroneous email tells nurses licenses no good

Some 11,000 Ohio nurses who received licenses in 2017 were incorrectly informed in a New Year’s Day email that they should stop practicing immediately because their licenses were no longer recognized by the state, state officials said.

The email was autogenerated by the Ohio eLicense system, which is administered by the Ohio Department of Administrative Services in conjunction with the Ohio Board of Nursing, said Betsy Houchen, the board’s executive director. Tom Hoyt, Administrative Services spokesman, said Wednesday afternoon it was not yet known what caused the error.

The message was sent to more than two-thirds of Ohio’s 16,760 advancedpractice registered nurses, or APRNs, which include certified nurse practitioners, certified registered nurse anesthetists, clinical nurse specialists and certified nurse midwives. APRNs hold post-graduate degrees and national certification, and many have the ability to write prescriptions.

Before April, APRNs required a state certification, but changes to state law now require they be licensed. Houchen said that the majority of the nurses who received mistaken emails had renewed by a Jan. 1 deadline, transitioning from certification to licensing. They renew every other year, she said.

The Ohio Board of Nursing learned on Monday morning that the emails had been automatically sent to the APRNs. Houchen said staff immediately sent a “blast email” to all prescribing APRNs to inform them of the mistake.

On Tuesday, the board published messages on its website and social media informing the public. It also updated its automatic answering attendant to alert anyone calling the board by phone. She said staff responded to calls, which had diminished by the close of business on Tuesday.

Nurses wishing to see the status of their licenses can visit the board’s website, www.nursing.ohio.gov, and click on the “verify a license” tab at the top of the page.

In 2017 the board, through Ohio eLicense, renewed more than 200,000 total licensees, Houchen said. About 98 percent of APRNs successfully renewed.

Along with the 16,760 APRNs, the board’s annual report lists 213,927 registered nurses and 52,823 licensed practical nurses.