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Florida lawmakers take up nurse practitioner bill

Florida lawmakers take up nurse practitioner bill
Florida lawmakers take up nurse practitioner bill
Posted at 4:43 PM, Feb 15, 2019
and last updated 2019-02-15 16:43:00-05

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (The News Service of Florida) - Florida lawmakers are again grappling with whether to allow advanced registered nurse practitioners to work independently of physicians.  

This week, the House Health Care Quality Subcommittee heard the pros and cons and whether it would increase access to care.

Tay Kopanos, with the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, says states are turning to a number of solutions to increase access to care.

But she feels changing Licensure Laws for nurse practitioners will make the most immediate impact. 

"No delay in the benefit to the consumer and the state, and it is the only solution that has a track record of 40 years of success in other states around the country," said Kopanos. "So, we are seeing more and more states moving in that direction."  

Advanced registered nurse practitioners have advanced degrees and can work in primary care environments, delivering basic care or in surgical settings administering anesthesia.

Florida has more than 29,000 advanced registered nurse practitioners who have active licenses, according to the latest available data from the State Department of Health.