In an effort to modernize their services for prospective and current nurses, the Nevada State Board of Nursing officially launched their cloud-based Nevada Nurse Portal this summer.
The new service provides a confidential and paper-free way for nurses to manage, update and see the status of their Nevada license online at any time, according to the nursing board website.
It may not sound revolutionary, but upgrading to the new system has been a long journey for staff. Cathy Dinauer, executive director and spokesperson for the state board, said they started development on an initial design concept sometime in 2012.
“Our previous system was almost 20 years old and very antiquated,” Dinauer said in an email. “A cloud-based system allows applicants to submit applications 24/7.”
The Nevada Nurse Portal officially launched on June 4, and as of July 31, 10,530 nurse portal accounts have been created, Dinauer said.
A screenshot of the Nevada Nurse Portal login and registration screen, taken on Aug. 22, 2018.
The estimated total of created accounts is about half of the total number of registered nurses in Nevada in 2017, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Along with around-the-clock access for nurses, the new portal has streamlined several aspects of the licensure process and reduced costs for applicants and the Board since everything is documented digitally, Dinauer said. Previously if a nurse wanted to update their contact information or add additional education experience to their license, they would have to mail it directly to the board.
This change also means the board completely stopped accepting paper applications as of May 28, according to their website. Any new applications must be submitted through the Nevada Nurse Portal.
Despite the improvements, the new system has caused minor slowdowns for new nurses seeking temporary licenses by endorsement, Dinauer said.
“Temporary licenses for endorsement applicants issued since the launch are taking 1-2 weeks,” Dinauer said. “Prior to the launch, temporary licenses were issued in less than a week. Processing timeframes are expected to return to less than a week once staff and the public have worked through the initial launch and learning curve.”
Endorsement applicants and travel nurses are encouraged to apply for a license at least two weeks prior to starting a new assignment. This means travelers who have never worked in the state may have to plan a bit further ahead to secure their license for recent fall contracts.
Nurses can find out more information about the Nevada Nursing Portal and how to register by visiting the Nevada State Board of Nursing website.
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