BRN advisory committees report progress on NP 104 pathway, midwifery certification and clinical placement challenges

The California Board of Registered Nursings Nursing Practice Committee received information-only updates Oct. 30 from its advisory committees on nursing education, advanced practice nursing and workforce issues.

Nurse practitioner advisory

Staff reported the nurse practitioner advisory committee reviewed the sunset process and discussed attestation and transition pathways from standardized procedure practice to a 103 status and onward to a 104 status. Staff told the committee the BRN plans to launch the 104 application in January, a step the committee said would allow nurse practitioners to seek independent practice aligned with their education and national certification.

Nurse midwifery

The nurse midwifery advisory committee reviewed changes to a practice FAQ after passage of SB 1237 and SB 667, reviewed UCSF survey results, and voted unanimously to explore requiring national certification as part of initial licensure for nurse midwives in California.

CRNA and CNS

The certified registered nurse anesthetist advisory committee met twice to complete agenda items, received a presentation from the California Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (CAMA) about future priorities, and discussed regulatory work that will accompany recently passed legislation. The clinical nurse specialist advisory committee reviewed draft regulatory language and received stakeholder priorities from the California Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists.

Nursing education and workforce

Committee materials and staff reports highlighted ongoing difficulty securing clinical placements for nursing students, implementation questions tied to AB 2684, concerns about program director approvals and NEC communications, and stakeholder letters from academic and hospital partners. Staff noted recordings and materials are available on the Department of Consumer Affairs YouTube channel.

The advisory updates were provided as information only; no committee action was taken on the reports during the meeting.