TOPEKA (KSNT) — One Kansas nurse is receiving a big reward from the state after she claims the Kansas Board of Nursing (KSBN) made it impossible for her to find a job during a 21-month period.
The Kansas Committee on Special Claims Against the State met at the Kansas Statehouse on Nov. 10 in Topeka. It was there that Amy Siple, a registered nurse serving the Wichita community, asked lawmakers to give her $100,000 to recover lost wages.
“I was unemployable,” Siple said.
Siple states that in 2024, she stepped away from practicing to care for her husband after he was diagnosed with cancer. It was during that time that Siple claims she had forgotten to renew her nursing license. Prior to returning to the nursing profession, Siple said she corrected this mistake, and re-applied for an active nursing license.
However, the Kansas Board of Nursing accused Siple of practicing without a license during the time she was caring for her husband. They gave her an “unprofessional conduct” demerit, and Siple claims it made it difficult for her to find a job.
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“There was desperate need for the services that I render in caring for older adults, particularly those with dementia, but practices and hospitals could not employ me because of the demerit,” Siple said.
So, Siple took her fight to the statehouse, seeking support from lawmakers to earn back the money she claims she missed out on due to being unemployed.
During the meeting, Jacob Schmidt, a lawyer representing the KSBN, said the money Siple was asking for was too much. Additionally, Schmidt argues the board did nothing wrong.
“This is not meant to diminish Mrs. Siples’ personal circumstances,” Schmidt said. “I’m certainly sympathetic to those circumstances. But I don’t think those circumstances mean she is entitled to $100,000 when the agency in all respects acted in accordance with the law as it existed at the time.”
So, what did lawmakers on the committee think?
“I’m going to be voting ‘no’ on the matter of this motion,” said Rep. Dan Osman (D). “The Board of Nursing was following the law. I don’t think we should punish the Nursing Board for following the law.”
“I think that she has a very valid claim and a very valid argument for the request that she is making,” said Senator Stephen Owens (R). “Very much the state owes this to her.”
Ultimately, in a tight 4-3 vote, the committee did approve Siples claim, awarding her $100,000. In a one-on-one interview with our Kansas Capitol Bureau, Siple claims this isn’t just about her. She is hoping this decision can pave the way for nurses who have dealt with similar cases, to stand up and make claims as well.
“There are a lot of nurses who have suffered greatly,” Siple said. “We want nurses to be courageous enough to bring claims against the state and ask for the damages to be served.”
The $100,000 award will come out of the KSBN budget. Our Kansas Capitol Bureau reached out to the board for comment, but they have yet to respond.
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