NAM nursing report calls for making pandemic changes permanent

The latest report from the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) on the future of the nursing profession recommends making permanent all state and federal policy changes that expanded nurses’ scope of practice and made their services reimbursable during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, nurse practitioners (NPs) had full practice authority in 23 states and the District of Columbia. Other states require NPs to enter into agreements with physicians who review their care decisions and/or prescribing practices or engage in other forms of supervision. The report asserts access to primary care increased and the quality of care improved in states when nurses received full practice authority. (Medscape article, 5/11/21)