New Legislation Grants Greater Independence to Nurse Practitioners in Rural Pennsylvania

A bill sponsored by Sen. Camera Bartolotta (R-46) to increase access to healthcare in rural areas has been approved by the Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee. Senate Bill 25, as amended, would allow qualified Advanced Practice Registered Nurses-Certified Nurse Practitioners (APRN-CNPs) to practice primary health care independently in rural counties after fulfilling a three-year, 3,600-hour collaboration agreement with a physician. Currently, nurse practitioners must always practice under a collaboration agreement.

In rural areas, accessing healthcare can be challenging due to distance and lack of public transportation. The bill aims to address these issues by allowing nurse practitioners to provide care without constant supervision from a physician. Using the Center for Rural PA’s definition of rural areas, the bill aims to improve access to healthcare for over 3.4 million Pennsylvanians living in rural communities.

Nurse practitioners are more likely than physicians to practice in rural areas, and granting them full practice authority could result in an increase in the number of patients they can see per week. The bill has now advanced to the full Senate for further consideration.

For more information about this legislation, contact Katrina Hanna at 717-787-1463.