The Ohio Board of Nursing (OBN) has released proposed rule changes now posted on their website that will fundamentally undermine access to continuing education and erode transparency and accountability in our profession.

ONA has reviewed the 100+ pages of draft rules and is deeply concerned about two major proposals:

🚫 Proposed Elimination of CE Approver Structure
The proposed changes to rules 4723-14-01, 4723-14-03, and 4723-14-08 would:
- Eliminate most OBN-approved CE approvers by limiting them to state agencies (of which only two exist—and only one accepts applications of very limited scope).
- Force Ohio nurses and CE providers to seek national accreditation, which can cost over $5,000, pricing out rural and community-based programs.
- Remove requirements that Category A CE courses be Ohio-based or OBN-reviewed—putting legal and regulatory education in the hands of unaccountable out-of-state vendors.

🚨 Proposed Rescission of Notice of Adoption Rule (4723-1-05)
This would eliminate the Board’s obligation to notify licensees when a rule has been adopted. If this change is approved:
- Nurses and CE providers will no longer receive direct notice of rule adoptions or effective dates.
- Stakeholders would be expected to monitor the state register on their own—an unreasonable burden for busy practitioners and small organizations.

Together, these changes threaten access, equity, transparency, and public protection.

📢 ️ Take Action: Submit Public Comment by Friday, July 4

Your voice matters. OBN needs to hear from nurses across Ohio. Let them know these changes are unacceptable.

📥 Submit comments via email to: rules@Nursing.Ohio.gov or click Take Action for a template
📌 Include the subject line: Public Comment on Draft Rules

📝 ONA recommends commenting in opposition to:
- The rescission of Rule 4723-1-05 (notice of adoption)
- Changes to CE approver eligibility and Category A oversight

You can view the full text of the rescission starting on page 90 of the draft rules PDF: https://nursing.ohio.gov/about-us/news/all-news/2025-rules-5-year-review

📅 What’s Next
- Public comments are due by Friday, July 4
- The Board’s Rule Review Committee meets July 24 to review the draft and submitted comments
- Final adoption could occur as early as September 4

ONA is advocating to withdraw or substantially revise these components of the proposal, and we need your help to ensure the Board hears from frontline nurses who will be impacted.

Thank you for standing with us to protect safe, accessible, and accountable continuing education for all Ohio nurses.

In solidarity,

Rick Lucas, BSN, RN, CCRN ONA President & Executive Director