Assignment task:
Summary:
As of 2019, California was 1 of 22 states that restricted the scope of work of APRNs by requiring that they practice and prescribe with physician oversight. Broadening the scope of practice by APRNs has merit under certain conditions, including the alleviation of shortages of healthcare personnel in rural areas and medically underserved urban areas. The United States has faced a chronic shortage of physicians, both primary care and specialist providers, which is projected to continue. Supplementing the supply of physicians with APRNs can help to mitigate issues of poor access to care. Moreover, during the current COVID-19 pandemic, APRNs may assist the healthcare delivery system by improving patient screening and triage and reducing provider burnout.
However, efforts to address these specific needs perhaps should be cautious about overgeneralizing the roles that APRNs can play. Proposed legislation in California, AB-890 Nurse Practitioners: Scope of Practice, and specifically its Article 8.5 and Section 2837.103, would allow NPs to "order, perform, and interpret diagnostic procedures" (including x-rays, mammography, and ultrasounds), as well as "prescribe, administer, dispense, and furnish pharmacological agents, including over-the-counter, legend, and controlled substances."
Questions: Should we have any concerns about allowing APRNs, most of whom have master's degree training, to read mammograms and prescribe opioids? What do you think?