Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell made an appearance at Penn's School of Nursing last Friday to sign five bills as part of his Prescription for Pennsylvania health-care reform package.
This legislation will directly broaden the scope of nursing practice in Pennsylvania and aims to curb soaring health-care costs while making care more accessible to low income individuals and families.
"This is something that we worked on for about six years. Groups of advocates, nurses, physicians and legislators collaborated to support a plan that will give increased health care access to underserved populations," said Tine Hansen-Turton, executive director of the National Nursing Centers Consortium and a collaborator in the drafting of the bills.
HB1253 enables certified registered nurse practitioners to order home health and hospice care, issue oral orders in health-care facilities, order durable medical equipment such as wheelchairs and walkers, issue physical therapy and dietitian referrals, perform and sign methadone treatment if ordered by a physician, perform disability assessments for the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program and issue home schooling certifications.
HB1254 pertains specifically to clinical nurse specialists, defining licensing requirements and providing title recognition for them.
Additionally, HB1255 defines licensing requirements for nurse midwives, gives nurse midwives prescriptive authority and sets requirements for physician-nurse midwife collaboration before prescribing medication.
Before these bills were passed, Pennsylvania was the only state in the nation that did not give nurse midwives prescriptive power or allow certified registered nurse practitioners to order durable medical equipment for their patients.
"I think this bill is encouraging for nursing students," Penn Nursing senior Pheobe Askie said. "For those who choose to advance their degree beyond the [bachelor's of science in nursing and registered nurse] level, it means more challenging and possibly more rewarding careers."
Besides redefining the legal scope of nursing practice, the legislation may also alter the way society perceives nurses.
"I feel as if this bill will help nurses gain more respect and power among their health-care professional peers. I also feel as if this will increase public knowledge about what nurses and nurses practitioners actually do," Askie said.
According to Hansen-Turton, the whole point is to make things better for the patient.
The new laws are "a good way to allow practitioners to utilize their knowledge and skills to the fullest and to get rid of barriers to care," she said. "It is a win-win situation for everybody: health-care providers and, ultimately, the patients."
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