KMA Launches Offensive Counter-Attack Against APRNs

Direct from an email. First tornados, now this! Help Kentucky out!

IF YOU THOUGHT HB 4 WAS BAD, TAKE A LOOK AT SB 190!

KMA LAUNCHES OFFENSIVE COUNTER-ATTACK AGAINST APRNs

KMA has launched its counter-attack by having Sen. Carroll Gibson (R-Leitchfield) file SB 190 on Thursday. SB 190 The bill is very cleverly drafted, as it never uses the word "supervision”, but puts the description and execution of both Collaborative Agreements and the relationship between physician and NP in their (physician) licensing statute – KRS 311.

Perhaps even more alarming and damaging are the sections dealing with the Collaborative Agreements. The legislation not only puts the physician in the position of defining the NP’s scope of prescriptive authority, but also defining the NP’s scope of practice. The latter is specifically referenced in the bill with regard to diagnosis, test ordering, analysis, and recommending referrals. In other words, if SB 190 becomes law, the collaborating physician could use the CAPA to put limits on your practice!!

In the sections describing the CAPA-NS and for the CAPA-CS, the bill spells out requirements that have never before been included in the CAPA’s: notifications by the physician to their licensing board (KBML) of any change in the CAPA or in the NP’s scope of practice. Also referenced are mechanisms for communication, meetings between the physician and the NP and the minimum number of charts to be reviewed and cosigned by the physician.

The bill goes on to state that the collaborative agreements are "required in the interest of patient health and safety”. Another section of the bill tells the KY Board of Nursing (KBN) how they are to handle complaints about the physician conduct with the CAPAs!

TAKE ACTION NOW: IT’S A ONE-TWO PUNCH: Call the Legislative Message Line – 1-800-372-7181 – and leave a message for all Senators: "Please oppose SB 190. It would put Nurse Practitioners out of business. And please support SB 187, Sen. Hornback’s Nurse Practitioner bill to increase access to quality health care.”

And please try to get more letters of support from physicians. Click here for new sample letters.

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Kentucky Coalition of Nurse Practitioners & Nurse Midwives

1017 Ash Street - Louisville, KY  40217

PHONE:  502.333.0076
EMAIL:  kcnpnm@kynp.org
WEB:  www.kcnpnm.org