Dive Brief:
- New York state has passed legislation this week that will expand the authority of nurse practitioners to practice independently of doctors.
- The Nurse Practitioners Modernization Act will eliminate the requirement that NPs have a written practice agreement with the doctor in place in order to practice on their own. This will make New York the 18th state, along with the District of Columbia, to enact such a measure.
- The bill passed despite tough opposition from state physician groups, who argued that NPs' lower experience levels pose a safety hazard.
Dive Insight:
With growing doctor shortages in several areas, it's all hands on deck, and that includes making the most use possible of the skills of trained nurse practitioners. While doctors argue that relying too much on NPs is a safety hazard, research suggests that NPs' quality of care is about the same as doctors. Given that, setting them free from the need for practice agreements seems like a prudent step.