Lawmakers in North Carolina introduced legislation to remove restrictions on APRNs. APRNs are safe and quality health care providers and are more likely than physicians to practice in rural areas.
In North Carolina APRNs are tethered to supervising physicians without meaningful oversight. Removing statutory barriers to APRNs will increase access to care and may help close the rural-urban health care gap in the state.
Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners hold vital roles in a variety of health care settings. While Congress debates how to move forward with the Affordable Care Act, it’s crucial for their practice authority to be at the forefront of the conversation.
Allowing nurse practitioners to work independently is met with resistance in America's physician-dominated system. But doing just that, along with standardizing scope of practice laws nationwide, could increase access to care in the midst of a physician shortage.
Nowadays in Mississippi it may be more common to visit a nurse than it is to visit a doctor, especially an APRN. APRNs are increasingly playing a larger role in Mississippi's healthcare, especially in rural areas that often lack a physician provider. However, APRNs continue to be challenged by restrictive collaborative requirements.
By 2020, Indiana is predicted to have 500 fewer primary care doctors than needed to treat its growing and aging population. More nurse practitioners are stepping up to meet the needs of Hoosier patients as Indiana grapples with this shortage.
