Adele Caruso: Nurse practitioners provide access to quality care

Pennsylvania has an opportunity to expand access to health care for thousands of its residents through legislation now before the House of Representatives’ Professional Licensure Committee.

Senate Bill 25, which gives nurse practitioners full practice authority by removing a mandate that requires a collaborative agreement with two physicians, passed the Pennsylvania Senate June 12 by a vote of 44-6. There has been overwhelming support for the bill from nurse practitioners and numerous other stakeholders.

The Pennsylvania Coalition of Nurse Practitioners agreed to two compromises in the bill. The first requires a three-year, 3,600-hour transition to practice period, which would be the most restrictive in the nation. The second would prohibit the State Board of Nursing from expanding beyond the current national standard of six nurse practitioner population focus (specialty) areas. These two compromises came about over a seven-year period of discussion.

Removing this mandate will allow fully educated and trained nurse practitioners to provide the quality care that is desperately needed in rural and underserved areas of the commonwealth. There is a shortage of primary care physicians in Pennsylvania and across the nation, while the number of nurse practitioners continues to grow.

Nurse practitioners having been practicing for over 50 years. Over 100 studies have validated nurse practitioner quality and found nurse practitioner and physician outcomes equal.

Nurse practitioners are proven qualified primary care providers. They are the solution to care access and minimizing delays in care. Nurse practitioners optimize care in this changing health care environment, and patients report being highly satisfied with the care they receive.

Nurse practitioners intend to remain a part of the health care team, conferring with other health care practitioners, including specialists, therapists and pharmacists, as is currently our practice.

Pennsylvania would realize cost savings with removal of collaborative agreements. Health systems across our state are ready to reduce the administrative burden.

Twenty-two states and the District of Columbia give nurse practitioners full practice authority, and other states are in the process of pursuing it. In 2016, the Department of Veterans Affairs gave nurse practitioners full practice authority in all its facilities across the nation.

Twenty-eight statewide health care, consumer and educational organizations, as well as 15 national orgnanizations, support this legislation.

Health care is constantly evolving, as are the roles in the health care arena, with many disciplines overlapping. Our patients trust us to provide them with the necessary level of care. We know our abilities to take care of their needs, and we also know our limits. We are held to the highest national credentialing standards and are regulated by the State Board of Nursing.

We look forward to the House Professional Licensure Committee bringing SB25 up for a vote.

Allow nurse practitioners to give the people of the commonwealth the option of affordable and accessible quality health care.

Adele Caruso, DNP, CRNP, is president of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Nurse Practitioners (pacnp.org).