Posted: | January 23, 2015 09:57 AM |
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From: | Senator Patricia H. Vance |
To: | All Senate members |
Subject: | Memo #5 - Modernization of the Professional Nursing Law |
Please join me in co-sponsoring legislation, which was SB 1063 of last session, that would modernize the Professional Nursing Law for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) in Pennsylvania. This legislation is reflective of the Consensus Model of APRN Regulation developed by participants representing national nursing organizations. Advanced Practice Registered Nurses include certified registered nurse anesthetists, certified nurse-midwives, clinical nurse specialists and certified nurse practitioners. These professionals play an integral part in the delivery of health care and modernizing their regulation will ensure patient safety and expanded patient access. This particular piece of legislation will update portions of the Pennsylvania law with regard to certified registered nurse practitioners. It will modify the title for certified registered nurse practitioner to Advanced Practiced Registered Nurse-Certified Nurse Practitioner (APRN-CNP) and change the current state certification to a license. An APRN-CNP will be defined as a registered nurse licensed in this Commonwealth to practice independently in a particular clinical specialty area or population focus in which the registered nurse is certified. The bill also removes the requirement for collaborative agreements between APRN-CNPs and physicians. APRN-CNPs will be permitted to issue oral orders in a health care facility to the extent permitted by the State Board of Nursing rather than a facility’s by-laws, rules, regulations or administrative orders. Additionally, they will be permitted to order methadone, and the breadth of their prescriptive authority will be determined by the board rather than the Drug Review Committee in the Department of Health. |
Introduced as SB717