In anticipation of the introduction of Health Care Reform legislation, congressional briefings, regarding the role of advanced practice nurses, have been conducted over the past few weeks highlighting the roles of advanced practice nurses in today’s health care system. The AANP, in collaboration with the ACNP, NAPNAP, NONPF and   ANA sponsored and participated in the briefing related to the role of the nurse practitioner.  Other briefings focused on the role of the nurse-midwife, the anesthetist and the clinical nurse specialist.

Speakers in the briefing included Mona Counts PhD, CRNP, AANP past president, who described her practice,  a free standing nurse practitioner managed clinic in southwestern Pennsylvania, Penny Kaye Jensen, DNP, ARNP , AANP president elect, who described her practice in the Veteran’s Administration, Marilou Shreve-Doffin , MSN, CRNP  who described her pediatric  practice in northwest Arkansas and Thad Wilson PhD, ARNP, Dean , Associate Dean  at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, who discussed faculty shortages in the context of advanced practice nursing.                                                                                                                             

 The briefing emphasized the potential role of the nurse practitioner as a licensed independent primary care provider in health care reform.  Issues addressed included the need for primary care providers such as nurse practitioners, the role of nurse practitioners as leaders in the “medical/ health care” home; the need for increased emphasis on health promotion/disease prevention and the management of chronic illness and Health IT.

As the topic of Health Care Reform unfolds, it is important that nurse practitioners be recognized and included in the reform process and plans that are developed. It is recommended that the IOM definition of primary care (“ the provision of integrated, accessible health care services by clinicians who are accountable for addressing a large majority  of personal health care needs, developing a sustained partnership with patients and practicing in the contest of family and community”) be utilized in the development  of health care reform agendas, and that nurse practitioners be recognized as primary care providers within that framework.

It is the recommendation of the groups participating in this briefing that: 

Health Care Reform includes the recognition and utilization of nurse practitioners as primary care providers.                                                        

the IOM definition of primary care be used in all proposed legislation and regulation pertaining  to the provision of primary care.

special attention be paid to safety net providers who provide care for patients who would not otherwise have access to care.

                emphasis be placed  on prevention and management of chronic diseases .

nurse practitioners be included in the design and development of all health care reform  models at their full scope of practice.         

Click here to view speaker bios.