Legislative Update from our friends at CAPRN

Hello. Will you please clarify how it is in the best interest of APRN's for us to pay for our fingerprints and background checks in order to have our licenses renewed? I'm sure that if our own Nursing Board is requesting this, there must be a valid reason that is beneficial to the APRN. Thanks so much.

where do APRNs stand on the issue of schedule II opioids? Our role was greatly diminished when Hydrocodone became a schedule II opioid last October. I work in a specialty, a surgical specialty, and I now limited to chasing after an MD to provide a signature. This is a barrier to my provision of care as a result of this new law. At discharge a patient is often in need of an opioid. As a DNP it is very discouraging
to read about MD's legislative efforts to allow a PA to a to prescribe a 15 day supply while fighting APRN so adamantly for the right to prescribe for so many years. I do not see any effort on the part of UAPRN to lobby for APRNs to have this right in GA. Please advise.

APRN. Need to be allowed to write Schedule 2 also. Why aren't we included in SB 115.

I totally agree with previous comments regarding PAs and schedule II drugs. NPs make up a significant percentage of non-physician healthcare providers, in both primary care and specialty settings. Therefore it is essential that they be included in this bill as well. I work in sub-acute rehab facilities with many postoperative patient who require Norco or Percocet. These past months have been frustrating for me to see my patients suffer because we were waiting for the physician to give us a script for Norco. These unnecessary barriers lead to delays in care, and ultimately results in poorer outcomes.

I suspect that the scheduled II request for PA's is okay with MAG because they are NOT NP's. By allowing PA's to prescribe sched II's and specifically NOT NP's, it makes utilization of NP's less likely in those areas where pain meds are more likely needed, ie surgery, pain management, etc. Basically, it gives MD's more leverage against NP's as providers. Physician's are trying (via MAG) to make it so difficult for NP's do our job that we agree to be moved from Nursing Board oversight to Medical Board oversight...where they would inevitably make it almost impossible for us to practice at all. Even the Nursing Board seems to be working against us with their current proposal for fingerprints and background checks that WE would be required to pay for when we renew our APRN license every other year. Why on Earth would they make that request of APRN's? [I posted that question earlier and tried to emphasis that surely there must be a beneficial reason for their request...We'll see.] NP's need to UNITE for our right to practice independently. Can anyone tell us how to do that?

These ridiculous fees and other barriers are just a sign that we must all stick together. The UAPRN Executive Board Members are reaching out to other APRN organizations to discuss how we can see all band together as one. I urge everyone to contact their State Senator and Representative and make them aware of how this is affecting our practice and our patients. If they don't hear from us individually, then the madness will continue. Get your family members, friends, patients, or whoever else you can find to contact their legislator. I will be attaching a list of all of the Georgia State Senators and Representatives. We can do this.

Thank you.

I believe the thought on the PA's prescription law is to watch and if it passes it will be easier to get ours passed. There are certainly many barriers to care in Georgia and if you are not on the CAPRN mailing list you should visit their page. You can donate and sign up for updates. We need to unite!!!

Thank you Amelia for sharing my update from CAPRN. I believe I can address some of the comments. The reason that APRNs are not included in the Schedule II bill is that we were not the ones who created the bill. If we try to add on to this bill, the price we pay is that the Board of Medicine will try to bring all of our prescriptive authority under them, just like it is for PAs - it is a bait they are dangling, and we should not take it. If APRNs want prescriptive authority, it needs to be brought forward by the 2 GNA lobbyists in conjunction with the CAPRN lobbyist through a legislator who supports our cause. So talk to the members of the Health and Human Services Committees. Tell them how it is hindering your practice, and how in many other States APRNs do prescribe Level II substances, with no ill effects on the frequency of addiction in those States. Commit funds to lobbying efforts and to legislators who have the will to bring forth bills on OUR behalf, instead of us trying to ride on the coattails of a PA bill.

As for the criminal backround checks - I was told by the President of the Board of Nursing, Brenda Rowe, that the reason for it is to put us on equal footing with physicians, who also have this requirement. She also said their legal department advised them to bring this bill forward, probably to reduce the liability of the Board if an APRN does harm to a patient, and a criminal backround check was not done by the State. That is my personal theory mind you, based on deductive reasoning, but I think it makes sense. I did ask her to consider accepting backround checks already done by our educational institutions or employers, if they were recent (say in the last 3 years). If more people suggest this, perhaps they will consider that a waiver and save some APRNs the time and cost involved.

If you are an AANP member, I would also suggest you speak to Janet Ross, and email the national organization leaders, to see what their stance is on these issues. The same goes for any other APRN organization on the national level of which you are a member (NAPNAP, College of Nurse Midwives, etc.) Having their backing on a stance gives it credence.

Respectfully, not a single physician I have discussed this with has ever had their fingerprints taken or a background check completed in order to renew their practice license. [Nor have any of the physicians that multiple fellow APRN's have discussed this with.] Granted, the physicians I have asked have all been from the U.S. so I don't know if there are different standards for foreign born physicians. I'm concerned that the President of the Board of Nursing would think this would put APRN's on equal footing with physicians when, according to numerous physicians, this is NOT a requirement for physicians. Any clarification you can provide would be appreciated. This is more than a bit confusing. Thanks so much.