APRNs given full practice authority at VA

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is amending its medical regulations to permit full practice authority of three types of advanced practice registered nurses (APRN): certified nurse-midwives, nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists. Certified registered nurse anesthetists were not given full practice authority under the final rule, which goes into effect January 13, 2017.

The final rule establishes the professional qualifications an individual must possess to be appointed as an APRN within the VA, establishes the criteria under which the VA may grant full practice authority to an APRN, and defines the scope of full practice authority for each of the three roles of APRNs.

"This final rule is a critical step for America's veterans to be able to obtain timely, high quality care in the Veterans Health System. We are pleased the VA will move forward with allowing veterans throughout the country to have direct access to nurse practitioner provided health care. America's nurse practitioners are honored to continue to serve our nation's veterans by providing them with direct access to the high-quality health care they deserve. We trust that in the near future, the VA will propose a plan to include Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) in this provision," said Cindy Cooke, DNP, FNP-C, FAANP, President of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) in a statement.