Check this page often to see how you can help with major policy issues facing nurse practitioners!
NCNA has learned that full practice authority will be heard in the Senate committee imminently. Please contact your Senator and ask them to support giving North Carolinians full access to
Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
CLICK THIS LINK TO CONTACT YOUR SENATOR
How would you like to have one license that is valid for multiple states?
The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) has developed a model for states to enact the Advanced Practice Nurse Compact that has been adopted as of August 12, 2020. The goal of the APRN compact is to increase “access to care, protects patient safety and reduce costs while supporting state-of-the-art health care delivery”. The compact will be implemented when seven states have enacted this legislation.
Benefits seen by NCSBN:
•APRNs will be able to practice freely among member states while still allowing
states to retain autonomy and the authority to enforce the state nurse practice
act
•Improved access to APRNs during a disaster or other times of great need
•Benefits military spouses with APRN licenses who often relocate
•Facilitates APRN education by supporting online APRN educator multistate
licensure
•Allows legal authority to facilitate interstate information sharing and
investigations in the event of adverse actions to ensure public protection
•Eliminates redundant, duplicative regulatory processes and unnecessary fees
Concerns seen by NAPNAP:
•The 2,080-hour practice hour requirement for all participating states:
-Sets a damaging precedent that additional clinical time is necessary for an
APRN to provide safe care
-Perpetuates an unnecessary barrier to improving patient access to care
-Several states with post-graduate practice hour requirements have reported
challenges with recruiting and retaining APRNs. New graduates in these states
have reported additional challenges securing positions due to these
requirements.
•Lack of an APRN Advisory Board to ensure available resources and expertise
to address the complexities and variety of practice issues
•Creates different standards within a state between single-state license and
multi-state license.
•Compact Administrators will face issues of practice and not just administrative
elements of the Compact
SUPPORT THE MODERNIZE NURSING PRACTICE ACT
Currently Bill 695 has been introduced to the NC general assembly. From the NCNA website, “The “Modernize Nursing Practice Act” would impact all levels of nursing, but includes a particularly important update to the ways that Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) are regulated. If signed into law, APRNs would no longer be subject to costly and unnecessary physician supervision requirements. It is an improvement that has been touted by healthcare experts across the country for a long time, with many states already moving to make these changes. Simply put, North Carolina is "behind the times”
Please contact your NC State Senator and ask them to pass the Modernize Nursing Practice Act, Senate bill 695.
You can also check these two important websites for additional legislative news and updates.
The NAPNAP Health Policy Agenda highlights NAPNAP’s 2020 policy goals.
Check out the NCNA Webpage and join NCNA!