NY law means bigger role for high-level RNs

Nationally, about 10 million more people have health insurance coverage this year as a result of the Affordable Care Act. That means more people seeking medical care — and with a shortage of doctors, another law that went into effect in January is helping with demand. The Nurse Practitioners Modernization Act gives nurse practitioners more independence, with many now able to provide primary care in a private practice without being under a physician's supervision. The new law allows nurse practitioners in New York with over 3,600 hours of clinical practice to practice independently — it removes the requirement for the NP to have a written agreement with a physician, instead highlighting the physician as a consultant.