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Board tables policy manual; member urges disability-awareness training for LVN/PT curricula
Summary
The board deferred action on its policy and procedures manual and invited written input; board member Neli Nieplis proposed adding a standardized disability-awareness training module to LVN and psychiatric technician education, prompting staff to refer the idea to the education and practice committee.
The Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians tabled discussion of its board policy and procedures manual on Feb. 5 while staff completes the draft, and members were asked to submit comments to staff for inclusion at a later meeting.
Executive Officer Celine Yamaguchi told the board the manual is still being developed and the item was being held for a future session. "Send your feedback to Elaine," a board member advised, and board leadership said items that members want formalized in the manual can be worked into future drafts.
During the discussion, board member Neli Nieplis raised a proposal for training on how to interact with patients with disabilities and asked that the education and practice committee consider including such content in standardized curricula or continuing education. "I'm wondering in the education committee if we can discuss maybe training on how to deal with somebody, how to deal with people with disabilities and kind of codify a training so that every person who goes through the LVN PT certification process has at least some awareness of different disabilities," Nieplis said, citing recent personal experiences that illustrated gaps in clinical awareness.
Gloria Gregorio Guzman, a governor-appointed LVN, said clinical training historically included hands-on exposure to facilities that serve patients with conditions such as cerebral palsy and autism and urged the committee to consider varying clinical experience across programs when crafting any standardized module.
Board members suggested other manual topics for future consideration, including a clear statement on who sets meeting agendas, routine review cycles for regulations and disciplinary guidelines, and explicit language on how abstentions are treated in votes. No formal changes were adopted; staff will accept written suggestions and the board will revisit the manual at a later meeting.
The open session recessed at 11:06 a.m.; the board will reconvene the next morning at 9:00 a.m.
