The Topeka Capital-Journal: How this Kansas law will protect nurses from clerical errors
While Amy Siple, a nurse of 30 years, was on leave to care for her husband during his cancer treatment, her nursing license lapsed over an unpaid fee. That paperwork mistake triggered a disciplinary action that could permanently damage her career.They turned a minor error into a full-blown disciplinary proceeding.Now, Kansas has acted. House Bill 2528 is now law and has been in effect since April 16, ensuring that nurses are judged by what really matters—patient care, not clerical errors.
In Amy’s case, the Kansas Board of Nursing (KSBN) threatened her with an “unprofessional conduct” note on her professional record, forcing her to pay four times her normal malpractice insurance rate and struggle to find employment. Amy is now suing the KSBN with the help of Pacific Legal Foundation, a public interest law firm.
HB 2528 changes the KSBN’s definition of “unprofessional conduct” to mean only “an act or failure to act related to the licensee’s practice of nursing that is performed intentionally or carelessly and causes or is likely to cause harm to the patient.” It also voids any “unprofessional conduct” notes issued under the former definition and expunges those records from the affected nurse’s files so that they can return to work.
As Amy has said, her “story isn’t unique” and “(h)undreds of nurses are disciplined every year for minor mistakes, and it’s our patients who ultimately suffer.” In the midst of a nursing shortage, HB 2528 ensures clerical mistakes — that in no way reflect a nurse’s ability to serve their patients — no longer affect their hireability.
Consider Joshua C., formerly of Manhattan, Kansas, who took a hiatus from the field of nursing to train as a facility administrator in Florida — a role that did not require a nursing license. Years later, when he sought to return to nursing, he contacted the KSBN to learn the steps he needed to take for renewal. Despite explaining that his administrative role was unrelated to the practice of nursing, the KSBN placed an “unprofessional conduct” note on his record. As a result, he is now ineligible to receive a license in Florida, the state where he now lives.
An “unprofessional conduct” note on a nurse’s record is a significant red flag in the hiring process. Aaron K., a long-term care administrator from Pretty Prairie, said if a nurse has an “unprofessional conduct” note on their record, hiring that nurse carries unseen risks for the facility. If an incident occurred in their building, the fact that they had hired a nurse with this designation could be used against the facility in court.
This means that something as minor as forgetting to pay a fee on time can become a liability for hospitals and care facilities.
But fixing the KSBN’s definition of “unprofessional conduct” is not the only thing that this law will do. HB 2528 also improves the renewal process, which is so often the cause of these “unprofessional conduct” notes. It requires the KSBN to send out a physical renewal notice to RNs, LPNs, and APRNs at least 60 days prior to their license renewal date. It also mandates digital notices 90, 60, 30 and 7 days prior to renewal, ensuring that nurses receive ample notice of upcoming deadlines.
Beth B. of Goddard, a nurse with nearly 50 years of experience, said while the KSBN usually sends out yellow postcards as reminders, she never received one when her license was up for renewal in 2024. And when she contacted the board about this, they told her that many other nurses had not received theirs either.
HB 2528 also requires that notice be sent to previously licensed nurses who miss a renewal deadline, alerting them that their application has not been received, and creates a 90-day grace period allowing for renewal with a late fee.
At a time of ongoing nursing shortages, clerical errors should not restrict qualified nurses from caring for patients. HB 2528 provides relief for nurses punished under a draconian definition of “unprofessional conduct” and ensures qualified nurses can continue serving their communities.
With the law already in effect, Kansas has drawn a clear line: nurses should be judged by patient care, not paperwork.
This op-ed was originally published in The Topeka Capital-Journal on April 19, 2026.
