Peer Responses:
- Length: A minimum of 180 words per post, not including references
- Citations: At least two high-level scholarly references in APA per post from within the last 5 years
California’s nurse practitioner workforce is constantly evolving to meet the needs of its widely underserved population. Currently, there are options for nurse practitioners to practice both under physician supervision and independently. Nurse practitioners can practice under authorized standardized procedures by collaborating with a supervising physician (California Board of Registered Nursing, 2019). Standardized procedures currently serve as a reference regarding the functions that the nurse practitioner can perform, including performing a physical exam, ordering medical equipment, and creating & modifying treatment plans in collaboration with the supervising physician (California Board of Registered Nursing, 2019). Under standardized procedures, a California nurse practitioner may also furnish drugs under the collaboration of a supervising physician (California Board of Registered Nursing, 2019). Under standardized procedures, a nurse practitioner must adhere to these rules at all times, or else they can be accused of practicing medicine (California Board of Registered Nursing, 2019).
Further efforts are being made in regards to providing family nurse practitioners with independent practice authority. In September 2020, Assembly Bill 890 was passed which would allow family nurse practitioners to practice independently under the specialist they are certified in (California Board of Registered Nursing, 2020). Under AB 890, family nurse practitioners with over 4,600-5,000 hours of patient care can transition from a standard NP to a 103 NP or 104 NP eligibility which allows them to practice independently within their area of specialty (California Board of Registered Nursing, 2020).
Currently, there is a huge pushback from the American Medical Association in regards to expanding the scope of practice for nurse practitioners (Robeznieks, 2020). The AMA claims that “Expanding the scope of practice for advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) leads to higher costs and reduced safety for patients who are better served by an integrated care team led by a physician whose education and training requirements far exceeds those of other health professionals” (Robeznieks, 2020). However, current legislation is still favoring independent NP practice under the 103 NP & 104 NP which was passed with Newsom in 2020 (California Board of Registered Nursing, 2020). There was no evidence found to support the COVID-19 pandemic expediting independent practice for family nurse practitioners.
As a future nurse practitioner, I plan to practice to the best of my abilities to maintain the integrity of the nurse practitioner profession. That means adhering to the standardized procedure protocol, constantly educating myself, and being an advocate for NP education. Additionally, I plan to become a member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and actively participate in the policy-making process as I progress in my career.
References
California Board of Registered Nursing. (2019). Nurse practitioners: Laws & regulations [PDF]. https://www.rn.ca.gov/pdfs/regulations/bp2834-r.pdf
California Board of Registered Nursing. (2020). Assembly bill 890. https://www.rn.ca.gov/practice/ab890.shtml
Robeznieks, A. (2020). Why expanding aprn scope of practice is bad idea. American Medical Association. https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/scope-practice/why-expanding-aprn-scope-practice-bad-idea
