Modern healthcare is presenting new challenges, such as staffing shortages, and the Commonwealth needs to be able to adapt to ensure Pennsylvanians continue to have access to quality care. The General Assembly can do this by expanding access to high-quality care by removing archaic restrictions on Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs), that no longer reflect modern medicine. Under my bill, the State Board of Nursing is to establish an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse-Certified Nurse Practitioner (APRN-CNP) license in areas of expertise consistent with training and focus of practice. This replaces the current state certification requirement.

Once an APRN-CNP has practiced for three years and completed a 3,600-hour physician collaboration requirement, APRN-CNPs will be permitted to practice to the full extent of their education and training by removing the requirement for a formal collaborative agreement. A collaborative agreement is currently required for CNPs to practice and write prescriptions.

Twenty-six other states and the District of Columbia currently allow nurse practitioners full practice authority. By modernizing our current law, we will be able to provide a better pathway for APRN-CNPs and enable these providers to more effectively care for Pennsylvanians.

I hope you join me in creating this new license and expand care to more Pennsylvanians.

Previous Co-Sponsors: Madden, E. Neilson, Hill-Evans, Hohenstein, Delloso, D. Williams, Donahue, Lawrence, Waxman, Isaacson, Conklin, Kazeem, Daley, Ciresi, Bernstine, Smith-Wade-El, Giral, Bellmon, Hanbidge, Cepeda-Freytiz, Brennan, Mustello, O'Mara, Howard, Borowski, Webster, Probst, Shusterman, Topper, Kinsey, Cerrato, Tomlinson, Malagari, Rigby, James, Twardzik, Powell, Green, Warner, Scott, and Boyd.