RICHMOND, VA – Governor Glenn Youngkin announced this week that the Virginia Board of Nursing is implementing changes to improve the quality of training, availability of training, and the hiring process of qualified nurse aides in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

“Today’s actions by the Board of Nursing will increase opportunities for Nurse Aides in Virginia. It will also help alleviate the shortage of qualified nurse aides and ensure that we are providing the best patient care for all Virginians,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “Reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens is key to providing more employment opportunities and attract more talent to Virginia.”

“I am grateful to the Board of Nursing for their strategic efforts to bring more people into the nursing profession, especially at a time when the demand for nurses is widespread,” said Secretary of Health and Human Resources John Littel. “Nurse aides are often an entry point for careers in nursing and an important part of this profession, providing direct care to patients and being a force multiplier for nurses. They are a critical part of the team that Governor Youngkin calls ‘Virginia’s Quiet Heroes.’”

The Virginia Board of Nursing is officially taking comments on a fast-track regulation to:

Allow nurse aide training to occur in a “clinical setting” outside of a nursing home facility focusing on geriatric care.
Require only the program coordinator or primary instructor, but not both individuals to hold a license as an RN.
Remove requirements for geriatric care experience for RN and LPN instructors and instructor experience from 2 years to 1 year.

Clarify roles and duties of instructional personnel and seek professionals from other health professions to supplement as primary instructors.

Ensuring appropriate and timely training is imperative for the 236 nurse aide programs across the Commonwealth with qualified and approved instructors. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions put in place, nurse aide programs continue to have issues that persist, which has perpetuated the difficulty of retaining qualified personnel to teach in these programs. Through this this regulatory change, other qualified health professionals can instruct nurse aide students, thus equipping the next generation of healthcare heroes with more robust skills that are necessary to address modern challenges. The comment period runs through March 1, 2023, and interested parties can comment through Townhall.Virginia.gov and the changes would become effective on March 16, 2023

The change will positively impact the available supply of potential instructors, create potential for increased size of nurse aid programs, and cultivate flexible options for teaching facilities.

DHP is an Executive Branch agency under the purview of the Health and Human Resources Secretariat, composed of 13 health regulatory boards. Policy boards ensure safe and competent care through licensing, enforce standards of practice, and disseminate vital information to practitioners and public.