05/29/2015
Legislation Introduced to Expand Role of APRNs
Rep. Dorothy Pelanda (R – Marysville) has introduced a bill which proposes eliminating both the written practice agreement and the 35-plus page advanced practice registered nurses (APRN) formulary. House Bill 216 would apply to nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwives, certified registered nurse anesthetists, and certified clinical nurse specialists.
Rep. Pelanda said the bill would help to alleviate the shortage of primary care physicians by allowing APRNs to practice to the full extent of their training and education. Proponents of the legislation claim it would not expand the APRN scope of practice, but instead would remove regulatory restrictions which they say create barriers to patients accessing care.
In addition to eliminating written practice agreements with physicians and striking the APRN formulary, other provisions in the bill include:
- Allowing APRNs to sign death certificates for their patients
- Authorizing APRNs to be the attending provider of record for their own admitted patients
- Establish an APRN advisory committee with the Ohio Board of Nursing
- Remove restrictions on sample medications
- Have a consult agreement with pharmacists
Ohio ACEP opposes HB 216 as initially written because of concerns over patient safety. As we track the bill’s progress, be on the lookout for Ohio ACEP action alerts and updates in future issues of the Advocacy Update.