ACTION ALERT to all SIG 30 members-Increase access to care in the Veteran Administration.
-Information provided by Constance McMenamin, FNP-C, SIG 30 secretary and legislative liaison.

Please take time now to comment on the Federal Register regarding the proposed rule to authorize Nurse Practitioners and other APRNs to practice to the full extent of their education. AANP, ANA, and other stakeholders have been working diligently for years to get to this point. Timing is imperative and if this does not pass now, the window for success will have closed. There is a 60 day window to accept comments and the Department of Veteran Affairs will accept comments until July 25, 2016.

I am asking every APRN, family and friends of APRNs to send a letter of support through the very simple process below. I will be sending this same request to everyone on my e-mail list; because I rarely impose upon friends and family, they will know I have great passion for this issue. Below are simple instructions that will take you to a form letter. It is best if you personalize it. This letter is specific to APRNs but non-APRNs can cut and paste. Such information regarding the quality of care you give or have received from APRNs, issues friends and neighbors have had with accessing health care and if you know of any veterans that were impacted by extensive waiting times this is even more pertinent. The simple instructions are listed below and I have included the official information regarding the proposal that is on the AANP (American Association Nurse Practitioner) website and I have copied the ANA (American Nurses Association) talking points as well. You can also click on the National Press Club video from June 28th which gives the full scope of this issue and why the need to have this legislation succeed NOW.

1. www.AANP.org

2. Center blue bar-> legislation/regulation->->pull down->->Federal Legislation->->VA Proposed Rule

3. In BOLD ->-> Submit Your Comments to the VA through AANP Advocacy Center.

From the AANP site:
On May 25, the Department of Veterans Affairs published a proposed rule in the Federal Register for nurse practitioners (NPs) and other advance practice registered nurses (APRNs) practicing in Veterans Health Administration facilities.

This proposal [RIN: 2900-AP44 - Proposed Rule - Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (81 Fed. Reg. 33155, May 25, 2016)] would authorize NPs to practice to the top of their education and preparation without physician supervision in all areas of practice with the exception of prescribing controlled drugs which remains under the authority of the federal Controlled Substances Act.

The American Association of Nurse Practitioners applauds this move to provide our nation's veterans with direct access to the health care services of NPs and other APRNs.

Talking points copied from ANA website:

• The proposal is "consistent with the recommendation of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Sciences to remove scope-of-practice barriers" (see 81 FR page 33156 of the proposed VA rule).
• "In the Military Health System, the Services employ APRNs, which includes Nurse Midwives, Nurse Practitioners, and Nurse Anesthetists, in independent practice without oversight from physicians. They are privileged in their roles as APRNs and can adjust their scope practice (level of care) through privileging as granted by a committee of physicians and the military treatment facility commander." (see 81 FR page 33158)
• "The Indian Health Service already grants full practice authority to APRNs" (see 81 FR page 33158).
• The proposed rule "would require a VA medical facility to verify that the APRN meets the requirements" set forth in the rule; "would require VA to confirm that the APRN has demonstrated the knowledge and skills necessary to provide the services described. . . without the clinical oversight of a physician, and is thus qualified to be privileged for such scope of practice;" and "would clarify that the VA processes for credentialing and privileging of licensed independent health care providers would apply to VA APRNs with full practice authority" (see 81 FR page 33157)
• "APRNs would not be authorized to replace or act as physicians or to provide any health care services that are beyond their clinical education, training, and national certification" (see 81 FR page 33156).