Nursing in the media: Clinical Professor Susanne Phillips spoke to Heather Stringer at the California Health Care Foundation blog about AB890, which is a pathway for nurse practitioners to practice independently.
The change has the potential to increase access to healthcare for the state’s residents, but Phillips says there is still regulatory work to be done to ensure that patients can fully benefit.
Phillips says:
“About 29,500 nurse practitioners are currently licensed in California, and allowing them to practice to the full extent of their education and training can improve access to care, reduce inefficiencies, lower costs, and guarantee the patient’s right to decide who they want as a provider. Broad recognition of this important role that NPs can play in improving health care outcomes will support the NPs practicing throughout the state as they work to support the health care needs of California’s residents. Right now, a patient on Medi-Cal has to find a primary care physician before they can select a nurse practitioner because we are not listed in the provider directory. Those are regulatory barriers that we still need to address.”
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