• Home

Bernd Meier

Home doctors General Assembly legislation legislature nurse practitioners physicians As nurse practitioners enjoy their new, state-granted authority, The Paducah Sun looks at the issue in far Western Kentucky

As nurse practitioners enjoy their new, state-granted authority, The Paducah Sun looks at the issue in far Western Kentucky

Written by Unknown on 4:08 PM ,
Kentucky law has expanded the rights of nurse practitioners, Laurel Black notes for The Paducah Sun: "Local practitioners say the move will provide patients with better access to care, but not everyone in the medical community embraces the idea."

The new law "gives nurse practitioners who have worked with a physician for four years the right to prescribe routine medications, such as those used to treat diabetes and blood pressure, without a doctor's involvement," Black writes. But nurse practitioners want it to go farther.

The American Association of Nurse Practitioners says "19 states and the District of Columbia allow nurse practitioners full autonomy. This means they're allowed to evaluate patients, order and interpret diagnostic tests, and initiate and manage treatments, including prescribing medications," Black reports. "As the population in the United States grows and ages, providers worry over a physician shortage -- as many as 130,600 by 2025, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges -- and some providers believe nurse practitioners could fill that gap if granted more independence."

"We want to be as independent as we can, because that gives better access to patients," said Amy Fennel, a nurse practitioner at the Paducah Neurosurgical Center, told Black.

"But the idea has met with opposition from organizations such as the American Medical Association," Black notes. "The AMA argues in support of physician-led teams, stating that nurse practitioners lack the education and training to practice on their own."

Black writes, "Local practitioners say their roles are different from those of physicians, and that practicing independently is well within the scope of their training. Elizabeth Scheidler, a nurse practitioner with Mercy Primary Care in Lyon County, who was a nurse for 12 years, told Black that her training was more patient-focused.

"That makes them a good fit for the current health care climate, where primary care physicians are at a premium, particularly in rural areas," Black writes. "Kentucky's law addresses only prescription of non-scheduled medications; controlled substances still require a collaborating physician. And there's still a ways to go before nurse practitioners are able to practice with complete autonomy in the state. For the time being, Scheidler says, the new law 'is a good compromise'." The legislature wrestled with the issue for years before passing the compromise this year. (Read more; subscription required)
Tweet
Newer Post Older Post

Popular Posts

  • Lexington is considering whether to add electronic cigarettes to its anti-smoking ordinance
    The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council will discuss whether to expand its smoking ban to include electronic cigarettes, possibly as earl...
  • As part of UK campus food deal, Aramark puts up $5 million for Food Connection, vows to purchase Kentucky products
    By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News The University of Kentucky has entered a $5 million public-private partnership designed to promote ...
  • Heavy use of e-cigarettes may deliver big doses of formaldehyde, which can be a cause of lung cancer, study suggests
    Vapor produced by electronic cigarettes can contain a surprisingly high concentration of formaldehyde—a known carcinogen that can cause lun...
  • Ten common myths about diabetes busted
    Kentucky ranks 17th in diabetes, and many Kentuckians are newly diagnosed every year with the disease, usually Type 2 diabetes. The diagnosi...
  • Ky. ranks 8th in the number of high-prescribing Medicare physicians for powerful narcotic painkillers and stimulants
    Kentucky ranks eighth in Medicare physicians who are considered "high prescribers" of Schedule 2 medications, drugs that have the ...
  • Newport school board's smoking ban, which includes e-cigarettes, would be 38th among 173 Kentucky school districts
    The Newport Independent Board of Education  passed the first reading of a proposed smoking ban Wednesday, Jan. 28 after adding electronic ci...
  • Millions of children on Medicaid are missing free check-ups; Kentucky is a little below the national average
    Millions of low-income children across the country aren't getting free preventive exams and screenings guaranteed by Medicaid, and some ...
  • Obamacare seems to be no plus for Kentucky Democrats, perhaps mainly because of the word's first three syllables
    Though the federal health-reform law has helped cover more than half a million Kentuckians and cut the state's uninsured population by h...
  • McConnell seeks 'timely and fair review' of plan for Medicare coverage of CT scans for those at high risk for lung cancer
    U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell asked Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services  Administrator Marilyn Tavenner to "give a timely and fair r...
  • Research suggests eating only during a nine- to 12-hour time period can help maintain healthy weight
    For a long time, scientists supposed that eating after midnight was unhealthy, but now a study has provided support for the notion. When sci...
Bernd Meier © . All Rights Reserved. Powered by Blogger