At issue is the degree to which nurse practitioners may operate free of physician oversight. Nurse practitioners in Iowa and 15 other states already have autonomy. Those in Nebraska do not. For the patient, more nurse practitioners could mean better access to care in rural areas and shorter waits in cities. But some physicians warn that independence for nurse practitioners could compromise quality. The head of the Nebraska Medical Association says nurse practitioners should be overseen by a collaborating doctor, as is required by Nebraska law.
A national organization, which the New York State Nurses Association helped found three years ago, is now suing the state group, seeking delinquent membership dues and other payments. The National Federation of Nurses, formed in 2009 by the state nurses union and unions from five other states, filed sued last week in U.S. District Court in Albany. It seeks $609,000 in overdue membership dues, another $228,000 in withdrawal and disaffiliation charges, the equivalent of three months of dues. It also seeks unspecified additional amounts to cover attorneys' fees and other costs.
New nursing graduates are finding their chosen profession is not as recession-proof as they had expected. Yet Cabrillo College and others offering training for would-be nurses are being advised not to cut back on their programs. A survey last fall of nearly 1,500 California newly licensed registered nurses found 43 percent did not have a nursing job 18 months after graduating, according to the California Institute for Nursing and Health Care. According to the nurses who were not working, 92 percent said they were told they did not have enough experience, 54 percent told no jobs were available and 42 percent told a bachelor's degree was preferred or required.
At a Capitol press conference on Monday, four groups that fall under the label "advance practice registered nurses" said they can't prescribe medications in many situations, though they have the training to do so, because a 1989 law and subsequent amendments to it have created a quilt of outdated regulations that discourage doctors from supervising them as they prescribe. A study by Waco economist Ray Perryman that says nurse practitioners, certified nurse anesthetists, clinical nurse specialists and nurse midwives could fill many current gaps in the state's healthcare system—and help it survive an expected wave of 6 million newly insured Texans, if President Barack Obama's healthcare law survives.
Nurse practitioners are rolling out a campaign this week to explain what, exactly, nurse practitioners do—and why patients should trust them with their medical needs. Through advertisements, public service announcements and events, the organization will try to raise the profile of the country's 155,000 nurse practitioners. The campaign looks to exploit what many say is a looming doctor shortage. The Association of American Medical College predicts that the country will have 63,000 too few doctors as soon as 2015. The AANP will follow up on the public relations blitz with state-level lobbying efforts, looking to pass bills that will expand the range of medical procedures that their membership can perform.
Population estimates indicate that the number of Minnesotans age 65 and older will rise 40 percent in the next 10 years. Students are looking beyond two-year-nursing programs to learn more about physical therapy, treatment management and psychological care while pursing a bachelor's degree. Nurse educators say two-year degree programs are not enough to keep up with the increasing demands on the profession, and more nursing students are pursuing four-year programs. Enrollment in undergraduate and graduate nursing programs increased 8.5 percent last year, from 238,799 in 2010 to 259,100 in 2011, according a recent report by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.