Answers or more questions?

Fifteen states, including California, are considering legislation that could expand nurse practitioners’ scopes of practice, according to a recent National Public Radio news item. An expanded scope for nurse practitioners could be one way to ameliorate a nationwide shortage of doctors and help deliver care to an estimated 25 million people expected to gain insurance under the Affordable Healthcare Act. However, this possible expansion also raises questions: Should advanced practice nurses lead medical homes, which deliver team-based, coordinated care to patients? Should nurse practitioners be paid equally for providing the same health services as physicians? It depends on who you ask, as our top story shows.

Shifting roles can mean new assessment issues. Plan to attend one or more of our upcoming Overcoming Competency Assessment Challenges” webcasts to learn how to handle some of the toughest ones. This series includes Practitioners With Temporary, Telemedicine, and New Technology Privileges June 18; All About Advanced Practice Professionals July 23; and Practitioners in Ambulatory Settings, Selective Practice, and Single Practitioners in a Specialty August 27. Click here for more information.

Thank you for reading! Please email your questions and comments to mstevens@hcpro.com.

Managing Editor, Credentialing Resource Center Insider