Even though the nurse practitioner has their own NPI number and their own license—they’re completely independent providers—most physicians want to have that control over the individual. After years of opposition from the Florida Medical Association and seven years of passing in the state House but not in the Senate, the bill to allow Floridian Nurse Practitioners full practice authority has finally been passed. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Qualified nurse practitioners will be able to independently operate primary care practices without an attending doctor under a bill passed by the Florida … Get more news like this - plus jobs - each week. As a shortage of primary care providers looms on our collective horizon, lack of access to primary care has the potential to get much worse. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. What are your views on expanding practice authority to nurse practitioners in Florida? They’re trying to get their first job, and a lot of times, they end up at large practices with big groups of physicians or working for one of the hospitals or rehab centers. By illustration, the state’s Nurse Practice Act was amended in 2016 allowing NPs to prescribe controlled substances; it’s worth adding that Florida was the 50th and last state in the country to do so. (advanced practice registered nurses) of the red tape that has historically That is step #1, because the national organization fights for all of us and has a strong and savvy legislative team. The most important thing is to stay active politically. It’s crucial to convince physicians that NPs aren’t in competition with them, but rather they seek to work in a collaborative environment as part of a team; at the same same, NP should be able to work as independent providers with full prescriptive authority, the ability to create treatment plans, the authority to sign death certificates, and otherwise be free from the hassle of expensive “collaborative agreements.”. Starting in July 2020, advanced NPs who have accumulated at least 3,000 hours of experience under physician supervision will have the right to independently operate primary care practices in Florida without an attending doctor. As attorney Barbara Safriet has often pointed out, this is a double-sided scope of practice problem, with those deemed independent providers legally able to perform acts that may have no relation to their training or skill set, while other providers are hamstrung for no evidentiary reason.Dr. It makes you go through extra hurdles that really are not necessary. Yes. I have never felt that these laws served any purpose. We have to follow sound educational principles: start with the basic facts, frequent repetition, make sure we look and sound like the educators we are, and check back to see if learning has occurred. Number of Nurse Practitioners Prescribing Buprenorphine. I believe in making evidence-based decisions. In the Sunshine State and beyond, it’s clear that restricting the ability of NPs to fulfill their functions as healthcare providers not only increases costs and inconvenience for patients, but it also encourages NPs to seek out states with more modern, accommodating laws, places which enable NPs to work to the full extent of their training and education. Kim Curry, Professor and Associate Dean and the University of Florida. That’s basically what the legislation is saying. will immediately improve access to quality care for all.”, In a compromise between the Florida House and Senate, while the bill grants full practice authority to advanced NPs, it does not cover physician assistants or certified registered nurse anesthetists. These findings are echoed in a 2015 study from Columbia University, which found that NPs in primary care roles performed on par with doctors, but they spend more time with patients and didn’t add extra costs; furthermore, the patients NPs treated required fewer overall primary care visits. Thank you for being interested. A lack of access to primary care in the United States is one of the key reasons why the Commonwealth Fund ranks the U.S. as having the worst healthcare system in the affluent world. Dr. Reynel Lavandera, Professor at Barry University. Furthermore, FLANP stated that, “Changing restrictive nurse practitioner licensure laws has been demonstrated in other states to increase primary care access and reduce costs.” Having a more welcoming practice environment also can attract more NPs to this high-need state and add to local economic activity. Despite the crisis on the horizon, several U.S. states including Florida place undue burdens on patients and healthcare providers by limiting the autonomy of NPs. Revisiting outdated state practice laws, and considering Full Practice Authority (FPA) for nurse practitioners (NP), is needed for improving access to care while creating greater flexibility for development of patient-centered health care homes and other emerging models of care delivery. CDC: Pregnant Women Should Take Extra Precautions Against COVID, Nurse of the Week Hollyanne Milley Honored Veterans Day by Saving a Vet’s Life, US Healthcare Systems Struggle to Cope With Fall Covid Surge. Find a program that meets your affordability, flexibility, and education needs through an accredited, online school. I support full practice authority for APNs as the evidence shows that it is working.