Advanced Practice Nurses Battle On for Autonomy

"In fact, wages for all three practitioner groups rose at a slightly faster rate between 1999 and 2009 in states with more liberal [scope of practice] laws [than] in states with restrictive laws," the study says.

Of course, physician groups' primary argument is that patient care will suffer without restrictive scope of practice laws. But Summers says there are decades of research showing that patient care doesn't suffer at the hands of APRNs, and that healthcare should focus on a team-based approach to preventive and primary care.

"We've got to move beyond the turf wars and get the care to the people who need it," she says. "There really are plenty of sick people to go around."