Bill Description: House Bill 242 expands what could qualify for continuing education credits in nursing and primary care for those who serve as preceptors for recent medical graduates.
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Does it increase barriers to entry into the market? Examples include occupational licensure, the minimum wage, and restrictions on home businesses. Conversely, does it remove barriers to entry into the market?
House Bill 242 expands access to the market by expanding what health care professionals — including nurses and primary care physicians — could count toward their requirements for continuing education. It would do so by letting them count their hours spent precepting. Preceptors are those who supervise students who receive on-the-job training as part of a program to complete a degree in a medical profession. This legislation describes precepting as an “uncompensated mentoring experience.”
Being that health professionals are required to complete a designated number of continuing education credits in a year, this legislation offers an incentive for them to train new professionals. It expands the market since many continuing education courses are only offered through accredited programs. In the case of physicians, these programs must be accredited through the American Medical Association as a Category 1 Credit — a trademarked endorsement. Expanding the definition of what constitutes a valid continuing education hours not only protects the licensure of those working in rural areas where such courses may be sparse, but it creates a pathway outside of the ordinary medical establishment.
One caveat to this provision is it is only offered to preceptors serving in qualified rural areas defined as “a primary care health professional shortage area or a medically underserved area, as those terms are defined in section 39-5903, Idaho Code.” The safety and efficacy of allowing preceptorships to count toward continuing education does not differ significantly by geography. Nonetheless, House Bill 242 remains a promising departure from the status quo.
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