N.M. proposal would recruit NPs from other states

New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez plans to ask the state legislature to provide $220,000 next year for marketing directed at nurse practitioners (NPs) to sell them on the advantages of New Mexico, which allows them more independence in providing medical care than many other states, including nearby Texas. In New Mexico, for example, NPs can operate their own clinics, don’t have to work under the supervision of a physician, and have the authority to prescribe medications and refer patients to specialists.

Martinez also proposed to streamline the licensing system for nurses who move to New Mexico from the more than two dozen states, including California and Oklahoma, that aren't part of a compact providing for multistate licensure for nurses. The state’s Legislative Finance Committee earlier this year reported that residents could face growing problems with access to medical care because of the need for 2,000 additional physicians, 3,000 registered nurses, and as many as 800 dentists.