Lawmakers Consider Expanding The Role Of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses

Noon Edition airs on Fridays at noon on WFIU.

At the beginning of 2019, a bill was introduced to increase the role of advanced practice registered nurses in the state.

The bill would allow advanced practice nurses to operate without a practice agreement with a physician, and maintain prescriptive authority.

Currently, APRNs in Indiana have to be in practice with a physician to act as a primary care provider who can prescribe.

The proposal is being presented as a way to address health care practitioner shortages in the state.

But some doctors have expressed concerns that this will lead to nurses assuming roles they weren’t trained for.

APRNs are allowed to operate independently in 22 states right now.

Last week, lawmakers heard testimony on the subject. The proposal will likely be brought up during the next legislative session.

Tune in this week as week as we discuss the shortage of healthcare providers in the state, potenital solutions, and the role of APRNs.

You can follow us on Twitter @NoonEdition or join us on the air by calling in at 812-855-0811 or toll-free at 1-877-285-9348. You can also send us questions for the show at news@indianapublicmedia.org .

Our Guests

Angela Thompson, family nurse practitioner

Dr. Richard Feldman, former Indiana health commissioner

Deena Dodd, director of government relations and business development at the Indiana Rural Health Association

Seema Mohapatra, IUPUI Robert H. McKinney School of Law professor, specializing in healthcare law