Bipartisan Bill Increases Access to Nurses

An AONL-supported bill introduced in the House last week would remove remaining barriers in the Medicare and Medicaid programs that prevent advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) from practicing to the full extent of their education and training. Introduced by Reps. David Joyce, R-Ohio, and Lucille Roybal-Allard, D-Calif., the bipartisan “Improving Care and Access to Nurses Act” (HR 8812) adheres to the recommendations made in the National Academy of Medicine report, The Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity. Among other provisions, the bill would permit APRNs to order and supervise cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation, certify and recertify a patient’s terminal illness for hospice eligibility and perform all mandatory examinations in skilled nursing facilities. “The measure is a win-win,” said AONL CEO and American Hospital Association CNO and Senior Vice President of Workforce Robyn Begley. “It allows nurses to work at the top of their licenses and provides patients increased access to care.”