Closing in on NP Autonomy

The bill doesn’t cover other APRNs, although S.B.1237, a bill to allow certified nurse midwives to attend low-risk births without supervision, is also on its way to Newsom’s desk.

The Last Hurdles

The amended version of A.B.890 establishes additional parameters for the transition-to-practice requirements, which now include experience “managing a panel of patients, working in a complex healthcare setting, interpersonal communication, interpersonal collaboration and team-based care, professionalism, and business management of a practice.”

However, NPs may be able to count at least some past experience towards these requirements, which wasn’t the case with the version that passed the Assembly earlier this year.

The current version avoids the competing-boards problem of the earlier Assembly version. Instead, it would create a new nurse practitioner advisory committee, consisting of four NPs, two physicians and one public member, to “advise and make recommendations to” the BRN regarding NP autonomy.

This committee would be largely responsible for establishing the requirements for independent practice, including the transition-to-practice requirements.

Even if the governor signs the bill (which the California Medical Association strongly opposes), it’s unlikely that any California NPs would be authorized to practice independently before 2023.

In this Article: APRN Autonomy, Legislation and Public Policy, Nurse Midwives, Nurse Practitioners