Advanced Practice Registered Nurses in Missouri

Support House Bill 165 and Senate Bill 42

This year’s APRN (Advanced Practice Registered Nurses) Bill is in agreement with core Republican principles of reducing the size of government by removing regulations which are not cost effective and are over burdensome.  The current regulatory processes in Missouri which APRNs function under are very over burdensome and many are not supported with evidenced based research which proves that those regulations improve the quality of the healthcare provided.  For example:   The mileage restriction—there is no evidence which shows this requirement improves care.  In the current times of which we live, modern technology has advanced to the point that makes a physical location and mileage not a valid requirement to ensure there is communication between the APRN and physician.  We all advocate for the increased utilization of telehealth, why not utilize telehealth with an APRN nearby to the patient??  

One of the primary core responsibilities of government is to provide for the safety and well-being of the people.   Having a licensure process/requirement in place for physicians, nurses, physical therapists and such does make sense.  This is a way government ensures these individuals are doing what they hold themselves out to be in a way that does not harm the public.  Not having a licensure process in place for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses does not make sense when every other step in the healthcare provider continuum has a license.   

Government should make sense; our current regulatory process for APRNs does not.  HB 165 and SB 42 will bring back continuity, common sense, provide clarity where ambiguity currently exists and most of all reduce the cost to healthcare by removing barriers to accessing healthcare for Missourians.