CT APRN Advocacy: support legislation NP to work independent of doctors

[Psychcns]

To moderators: I thought AN was going to give us a new tab called APRN advocacy. I just got an email from Connecticut Nurses Association about some pending legislation to not require a collaborative agreement with physician after three years of licensure.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

What we wanted to do was to see how much advocacy related topics we could glean from posters. Please start a new thread with this info.

This is great news by the way.

[futureeastcoastNP]

Wonderful news! Yes, I requested the new section be made, but as trauma said they want to see if people would use it. Post the new thread with a title like "APRN Advocacy: title" that way they know it's meant for the hopefully soon to be created new section.

Thanks for keeping up with the news!

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

CT Nurses Assoc.: APRNs 2014 Legislation

Governor Malloy introduces Governor's Bill

GB #36 AN ACT CONCERNING THE GOVERNOR'S RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE.

Section 1. Subsection (b) of section 20-87a of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2014):

(b)(1) Advanced nursing practice is defined as the performance of advanced level nursing practice activities that, by virtue of [postbasic] post-basic specialized education and experience, are appropriate to and may be performed by an advanced practice registered nurse. The advanced practice registered nurse performs acts of diagnosis and treatment of alterations in health status, as described in subsection (a) of this section. [, and shall]

(2) An advanced practice registered nurse having been issued a license pursuant to section 20-94a shall, for the first three years after having been issued such license, collaborate with a physician licensed to practice medicine in this state. In all settings, [the] such advanced practice registered nurse may, in collaboration with a physician licensed to practice medicine in this state, prescribe, dispense and administer medical therapeutics and corrective measures and may request, sign for, receive and dispense drugs in the form of professional samples in accordance with sections 20-14c to 20-14e, inclusive, except [that an] such advanced practice registered nurse licensed pursuant to section 20-94a and maintaining current certification from the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists who is prescribing and administrating medical therapeutics during surgery may only do so if the physician who is medically directing the prescriptive activity is physically present in the institution, clinic or other setting where the surgery is being performed. For purposes of this [subsection] subdivision, "collaboration" means a mutually agreed upon relationship between [an] such advanced practice registered nurse and a physician who is educated, trained or has relevant experience that is related to the work of such advanced practice registered nurse. The collaboration shall address a reasonable and appropriate level of consultation and referral, coverage for the patient in the absence of [the] such advanced practice registered nurse, a method to review patient outcomes and a method of disclosure of the relationship to the patient. Relative to the exercise of prescriptive authority, the collaboration between [an] such advanced practice registered nurse and a physician shall be in writing and shall address the level of schedule II and III controlled substances that [the] such advanced practice registered nurse may prescribe and provide a method to review patient outcomes, including, but not limited to, the review of medical therapeutics, corrective measures, laboratory tests and other diagnostic procedures that [the] such advanced practice registered nurse may prescribe, dispense and administer.

(3) An advanced practice registered nurse having been issued a license pursuant to section 20-94a and having maintained such license for a period of not less than three years in accordance with the provisions of subdivision (2) of this subsection may thereafter, alone or in collaboration with a physician or another health care provider licensed to practice in this state: (A) Perform the acts of diagnosis and treatment of alterations in health status, as described in subsection (a) of this section; and (B) prescribe, dispense and administer medical therapeutics and corrective measures and dispense drugs in the form of professional samples as described in subdivision (2) of this subsection in all settings.

Legislation has been referred to committee on Public Health. DPH review completed-- no public safety issue. Need to write legislators to move out of committee and support.

From the CT Mirror:

By: Arielle Levin Becker | February 11, 2014

Let nurse practitioners in CT work independent of doctors

...After receiving a request from the APRN society, the state health department launched a review of the scope of practice requirements for nurse practitioners. The review committee included representatives from 23 groups.

Public Health Commissioner Dr. Jewel Mullen said the process "did not uncover any documentation to suggest that the elimination of the collaborative practice agreement impaired safety."...

The Hartford Courant

February 21, 2014

Take Reins Off Advanced Practice Nurses

...Already 17 states and the District of Columbia, fully one-third of the country, have eliminated outdated laws constraining APRN practice. This has brought increased access to health care, as well as improved health outcomes and lower health care costs in those states. This trend is supported by extensive quality research studies and a 2010 Institute of Medicine report.

The institute observed that, "what nurse practitioners are able to do once they graduate varies widely [from state to state] for reasons that are related not to their ability, education or training, or safety concerns, but to the political decisions of the state in which they work." In addition, the institute called for state legislators to reform the "scope-of-practice regulations to conform to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing Model Nursing Practice Act and Model Nursing Administrative Rules," which the governor's bill would advance....

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Copy to Activism forum.