Nurse practitioner organizations have crafted a pointed and strong response to the American Medical Association's "module" about nurse practitioner scope of practice.The AMA's Advocacy Research Center published the paper in October 2009 as part of a data series on healthcare providers. The 142-page paper refers to NPs as "limited-license" healthcare providers and includes several factual errors about the NP role. The paper is accessible here.Twenty-one nursing and nurse practitioner groups quickly ...

Mary Mundinger, NP, dean of the school of nursing at Columbia University, recently disclosed her retirement plans: She'll be heading to Washington to lobby for doctorate of nursing education funding. Mundinger has been a long-time advocate for expanded roles for nurse practitioners in primary care and hospital settings. Notably, in 2002, she published results of a study that compared physician and nurse practitioner outcomes in the hospital setting. The study found that care was comparable (Mundinger MO, ...

Virginia LaNoce, the NP practice owner whose politically charged practice struggles were detailed in ADVANCE in late 2009, is on her way back to full practice privileges. The owner of NP Family Medicine in New Portland, Maine, voluntarily surrendered her NP license last June, after questions arose about her treatment of chronic pain patients (read our coverage here).LaNoce met with the Board of Nursing in December 2009, and she told ADVANCE that members were "impressed with how much I had done since we ...

The Arkansas State Board of Nursing has made suggested revisions to its rules for advanced practice nursing. These changes were suggested so that regulation of NPs would align with the consensus model developed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. Changes include requiring a graduate nursing degree for practice as well as other licensure changes. All proposed changes can be viewed here."The suggested revisions should not impact APNs who are currently practicing in Arkansas in negative way, ...

After a long wait in Pennsylvania, NPs may now practice under the expanded authority awarded in a law passed in 2007. With new prescribing parameters, NPs will be closer to functioning to the full extent of their education and clinical expertise, according to Susan Schrand, NP, executive director of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Nurse Practitioners (PCNP).Highlights of the new regulations include removal of the 4:1 NP-to-physician ratio, removal of the requirement to have a collaborating physician's name ...

In Alaska, where nurse practitioners have had independent practice authority since 1983, the Board of Nursing (BON) has published proposed regulation changes affecting NPs for pharmacology requirements, injections and relicensure. ADVANCE first reported these changes in December 2009. Barb Berner, NP, chairwoman of the legislative committee for the Alaska Nurse Practitioner Association, expressed concerns that the changes were ambiguous, and she encouraged NPs to make comments during a public comment ...

A nurse practitioner was awarded a prize in the 2009 Cherokee Inspired Comfort Awards. Recipients represent a variety of healthcare professionals, from hospital employees and visiting nurses to dental hygienists and nurse anesthetists. Each one was chosen for exemplary service and care to those in need.Grand prize winner in the advanced practice nurse category is Diana Webber, NP, from Hope Medical Clinic in Atoka, Okla. With precious few medical resources available for the uninsured among 3,000 local ...

A bill sought by the Maine Nurse Practitioner Association (MNPA) to eliminate delegation by physicians was accepted by the legislative council for consideration. Anne Perry, a nurse practitioner who is the state representative representing Calais, sponsored the bill. The next steps for this bill include hearings, committee voting and then consideration in the House and Senate.MNPA and the legislative committee, which includes 10 NP members, has been researching the delegation issue since 2003, said Liz ...

Florida NPs have been seeking controlled substance (CS) prescribing authority for more than 15 years. Florida is one of only two states that have not awarded NPs this authority (Alabama is other).After another disappointment in the 2008 legislative session, the Senate committee that tabled the controlled substance prescribing bill ordered an investigative report that resulted in a recommendation to the committee in 2009. That report firmly supports CS authority for advanced practice registered nurses ...

In Alaska, where nurse practitioners have had independent practice authority since 1983, the Board of Nursing (BON) has published proposed regulation changes that will affect NPs in the state. Many of the proposed regulation changes revolve around continuing competency - specifically for pharmacology requirements and relicensure. "There are concerns that some of the proposed changes are ambiguous in their interpretation and lack evidence-based foundations that could create unintended consequences," says ...

As of press time in November, the Ohio Legislature had not acted on a bill to allow NPs to prescribe schedule II controlled substances. The bill had several hearings and passed out of committee by a vote of 14 to 3, according to Ohio Association of Advanced Practice Nurses (OAAPN) lobbyist Lori Herf."There was lots of drama," said Herf, "and even a last-second attempt by the OSMA to amend their late amendment." Herf said the amendment would have prohibited NPs from prescribing schedule II drugs at ...

Posted October 28. 2009The Ohio Legislature is considering a bill to allow NPs to prescribe schedule II controlled substances. HB 206 was introduced at the request of the Ohio Association of Advanced Practice Nurses (OAAPN), said Lori Herf, lobbyist for the OAAPN. The bill was assigned to the House Health Committee for consideration in late September.Primary sponsors are Rep. Barbara Boyd, chairwoman of the House Health Committee, and Rep. Scott Oelslager, who also sits on the committee. The bill had ...

Posted October 28, 2009Legislation that went into effect on Sept. 1 will enable better patient access and more streamlined NP practice in Texas. SB 532, sponsored by Sen. Dan Patrick and Rep. Garnet Coleman, made the following changes to "physician alternative practices": The requirement for a physician to be on site 20% of the time is reduced to 10%. An alternative practice site may be up to 75 miles from the primary practice site, an increase from 60 miles. The physician-NP ...

Posted October 28, 2009The Nevada Interscholastic Athletic Association (NIAA) recently announced its intention to stop recognizing sports physicals performed by NPs and PAs. The change in regulation is scheduled to take effect in spring 2010. According to the NIAA's interpretation of Nevada statute, the only acceptable signatures will be those of physicians and homeopathic physicians.NIAA executive director Eddie Bonine wrote a letter to Nevada schools to inform them of the change: "In light of ...

Posted October 1, 2009The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) Foundation has announced $111,000 in offerings available for nurse practitioner educational scholarships and project grants through the AANP Foundation Scholarship & Grant Program 2009 funding cycle. A noteworthy addition to the 2009 funding cycle is a $15,000 grant for women's heart health, the largest offering made by the program to date.Complete details related to the AANP Foundation Scholarship & Grant Program, including ...