TRENTON – The Senate Health, Human Services, and Senior Citizens Committee advanced a bill today sponsored by Senator Angela V. McKnight that would require the New Jersey Board of Nursing to establish a Nursing Scribe Program.

“The nursing shortage has placed added responsibilities on our nurses, requiring them to fill in gaps by taking on administrative tasks that reduce the time they can spend on direct patient care,” said Senator McKnight (D-Hudson). “At the same time, many nursing students are eager for hands-on clinical experience before entering the workforce. Establishing a nursing scribe program would offer dual benefits by alleviating clerical burdens on nurses and giving students valuable exposure to the field.”

The bill, S-3939, would establish a nursing scribe course where participating nursing schools could award academic credit to students who complete the program.

The course would include instruction in electronic medical record documentation, unit workflows, medical terminology, relevant provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and the fundamentals of medical billing, coding, and reimbursement. Students would also be required to complete a practicum providing nurse scribe services, which would entail assisting licensed nurses with documenting patient encounters.