Legislative leaders authorized the Kansas Board of Nursing to hire two additional investigators Monday, staff the board says is vital to handle the burgeoning number of nurses and complaints. Mary Blubaugh, the board's executive director, told the State Finance Council that the board has operated with five investigators since 2007. About 12,600 nurses have been added statewide since then, for a total of just more than 64,000. The five investigators have seen their caseloads grow from a manageable 240 to an unwieldy 455. "We just can't stay on top of the number of cases we're receiving," Blubaugh said.
