Registered nurses can no longer sign school excuse letters in Wisconsin starting Sept. 1

(The Center Square) – A registered nurse can no longer sign an excused absence from school in Wisconsin starting Sept. 1.Gov. Tony Evers signed a bill Friday to remove registered nurses from the list of those allowed to excuse an absence. The list now includes licensed physicians, naturopathic doctors, dentists, chiropractors, optometrists, psychologists, physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses
“By elevating the threshold to these specialized providers, the bill aims to prevent potential misuse of excused absences, promote consistency in evaluations, and prioritize classroom attendance for students aged 6 to 18,” Sen. Rachael Cabral-Guevara, R-Fox Crossing, wrote in testimony on the bill.
The Wisconsin Association of School Nurses asked for the change due to what it called “confusion that was created with an inadvertent change to the state’s school absence law.”
The bill goes along with a new system to license Advanced Practice Registered Nurses. The Wisconsin Nurses Association also supported the bill.
“Registered nurses, while highly skilled in patient care, typically do not have the independent authority to diagnose conditions without supervision from higher-credentialed professionals,” Cabral-Guevara wrote. “By limiting excuses to those with advanced diagnostic capabilities, we can better ensure that absences are genuinely warranted, reducing unnecessary disruptions to learning and fostering a more accountable system.”

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