Volunteers Needed for Full Practice Authority Teams

Tennessee Nurse Practitioner Association is teaming with other Tennessee nursing organizations to encourage grass root efforts for Full Practice Authority.

Grass Root Efforts
This is an opportunity for patients, physicians, family and friends to encourage their legislators to vote for Full Practice Authority. They shall inform them of the quality care received by the advance practice registered nurse, relationship, safety and comfort of care by the advance practice registered nurse.

Full Practice Authority
Full practice authority is the collection of state practice and licensure laws that allow for nurse practitioners to evaluate patients, diagnose, order and interpret diagnostic tests, initiate and manage treatments—including prescribe medications—under the exclusive licensure authority of the of the state board of nursing (TNA, 2014).

How does this relate to TN Nurses?
In the State of Tennessee nurse practitioners are required to collaborate with physicians. They may be owners of private clinics with collaboration. The collaborating physician must sign 20% of the nurse practitioner's medical records. In doing so, the nurse practitioner is responsible for reimbursing the collaborator.

It is time for barriers to be removed and for advanced practice registered nurses to practice to the full extent of their education.

It is time for patients to be able to choose their healthcare provider.

It is time to change archaic laws requiring collaborating physicians to sign orders for durable medical equipment (DME).

How to Help?

1. I would like to make you a team captain in your city of TN. Each team captain will be responsible for gathering at least 10 NPs or more in your area.
   
   
2. The captain and members will develop meetings with the legislators of your area and explain the responsibilities of advance practice registered nurses. If they have questions which you cannot explain, please let me know.
   
   
3. I will need a list of your location, team members and legislators which you have contacted. If you would like to take someone with you, please notify me (Irene Bean (Nashville), Kim Setser (Morristown), or Monica Satterwhite (Nashville)).  We will be willing to go with you or have other team members from the other nursing organizations (TNA, TAC or others) to assist you.
   
   
4. Our goal is to contact each legislator prior to the return of session in January. We will have monthly meetings via meetingtogo.com. There will also be meetings in each area of TN to encourage the community and supportive physicians to stand with us as we move forth with this effort to gain Full Practice Authority. If you do not know your legislator, I will send the information to you. Also, we will especially target the Health and Welfare Subcommittee who are a major vote to move FPA.
   
   
5. Please be certain that we receive your email address and those of your team members where we can inform you all of the meeting time and places.

I appreciate your volunteering to help in this battle. Please feel free to call me, Facebook, twitter or email me. I look forward to working with each of you.

Dr. Irene Bean, DNP, APRN-BC
Executive Director/Founder of TN Nurse Practitioner Association
615-915-2481
tnnpa@comcast.net
Twitter: @tnnpa (twitter.com)