Exciting Licensure News!
Introduction
The PAND has collaborated with Representative Thomas Mehaffie and nearly 20 legislators to introduce a bill updating the LDN sections of the professional nursing act. This legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives on October 16, 2018 and is known as HB 2721. The entire text of this bill can be found in the link below. As the bill was introduced late in the legislative session, it will not be acted on now, but will be reintroduced in January 2019 when it will be acted on.
Here is the link of the full text of the bill:
What you need to know
There are many reasons why we are introducing this legislation.
1. You, our membership, asked us to do this when you responded to our membership survey in 2016. An overwhelming number of members commented that it was time to update the LDN statute.
2. Our present statute was signed into law in 2002. The nutrition care that we provide patients today is very different and more complex than nutrition care provided in 2002.
3. Nutrition advice whether it be accurate, inaccurate, or appropriate or inappropriate is everywhere. Because of that, Pennsylvanians are confused about ideal nutrition care and recommendations.
4. The public is confused about the educational and experiential requirements that should be obtained from nutrition care practitioners.
5. Our responsibility as licensed dietitians nutritionists is to provide the best possible, medically appropriate, and nutrition intervention services to all the residents of Pennsylvania.
Below are the major changes we are proposing:
Educational Requirements
1. We are updating the educational requirements to assure that qualifications are appropriately rigorous for nutrition care provision in the 21st century.
2. We have updated the language to assure Pennsylvania LDNs are in compliance with the proposed 2024 CDR requirement of a master’s degree in order to take the registration examination for dietitians.
Scope of Practice
Our second change is to restate our legislated scope of practice. We have included medical nutrition therapy as the exclusive legislated domain of the licensed dietitian nutritionist. We have included nutrition focused physical examination and other complex nutrition assessment and interventions as the exclusive legislated domain of the licensed dietitian nutritionist.
Title Protection
From a title protection standpoint we are updating the statute so that the terms dietitian, nutritionist, and dietitian nutritionist are protected and can only be used by those who are licensed dietitians nutritionists in Pennsylvania.
Other changes include statutory protection to allow our students in supervised and approved programs to work to gain their educational and experiential requirements, a streamlined licensure application process for military members and spouses who are licensed in other states and who are transferred to Pennsylvania and wish to work here, and finally allowances for order writing and telehealth.
How to Get Involved!
PAND needs all members to help.
1. Get to know your legislator now or re-connect with him or her.
2. If your legislator is a co-sponsor of HB 2721, reach out via email, send a personal letter, and say thank you.
3. Read the emails and constant contacts from PAND and the newsletter for updates.
More information will follow – look for PAND alerts!