The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) aims to expand the scope of practice of advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) who work for the agency in order to provide veterans with greater and timely access to care

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) aims to expand the scope of practice of advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) who work for the agency in order to provide veterans with greater and timely access to care. Under a proposed rule published on May 25, 2016 in the Federal Register, the VA said it intended to expand the pool of qualified healthcare professionals who are authorized to provide primary healthcare and other services to the full extent of their education and abilities without the clinical supervision of physicians.

In December 2016, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved a final version of the VA’s proposed rule to grant full practice authority to APRNs that excludes CRNAs.

1. Please read http://www.aana.com/advocacy/federalgovernmentaffairs/Pages/VA-Final-Rule-Published1.aspx (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

2. Please review the following articles: http://www.aana.com/newsandjournal/News/Pages/052516-VA-Proposed-Rule-News.aspx (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.).

3. Lastly, please review a selection of the “negative” articles that I posted below: Do you agree or disagree with the authors? How would you support or refute these claims?

VA takes heat over plan to let nurses treat vets without doc supervision
FoxNews, June 1, 2016
www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/06/01/… (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Docs Steamed Over VA Nurse Proposal
MedPage Today, June 1, 2016
www.medpagetoday.com/publichealthpolicy/militarymedicine/… (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Proposal: Cut VA Wait Times by Giving New Authority to Nurses?
Independent Women’s Forum, May 30, 2016
www.iwf.org/blog/2800351/… (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

VA Wait Times: Criticism Lines Up Behind Veteran Affairs Plan To Let Nurses Take Over Physician Tasks
International Business Times, May 28, 2016
www.ibtimes.com/… (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

VA proposes to give nurses expanded role
Pittsburgh Tribune, May 27, 2016
triblive.com/usworld/nation/10542577-74/… (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

VA proposes expanding nurses’ medical authority
Stat News: Morning Rounds enewsletter, May 26, 2016
us11.campaign-archive1.com/… (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Press Briefing Denouncing Dangerous VA Policy Change to Replace Physician Anesthesiologists with Nurses in Surgery
Mil-Tech, May 26, 2016
www.military-technologies.net/2016/05/26/… (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

AMA disappointed with VA’s proposal to allow advanced practice nurses within VA practice independently
DotMed Health Care Business Daily News, May 26, 2016
www.dotmed.com/news/story/31130 (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Physician anesthesiologists oppose VA rule replacing physicians with nurses in anesthesia
Medical XPress, May 25, 2016
medicalxpress.com/news/… (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Doctors oppose replacing VA physician anesthesiologists with nurses
UPI, May 25, 2016
www.upi.com/Health_News/2016/05/25/… (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Physician Anesthesiologists, Veterans and VA Anesthesia Chiefs Oppose VA Policy Replacing Physicians with Nurses for Anesthesia Care in Surgery
PR Newswire, May 24 2016
www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/… (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.