Nurses taking on new roles under Affordable Care Act

Nurses are taking on some new roles as state and federal lawmakers redefine health care. Jo Ann Webb, a health policy professor at Georgetown University, envisions droves of nurses spreading out into communities. She talks about the shift toward treating more patients in their homes, as opposed to hospitals. Webb brings up pharmacies -- like Wal-Mart and CVS – and plans to have nurses administer basic medical exams for people shopping at the stores. Then, Webb, who also works for a nursing leadership organization, mentions the shortage of nurses to fill these new jobs, which are largely being created by the federal Affordable Care Act.