Pennsylvania Scope of Practice Policy Brief
Penn collection
Degree type
Discipline
Subject
nursing
nurse
primary care
licensure
nurse practitioner
Health Economics
Health Policy
Health Services Administration
Health Services Research
Nursing
Nursing Administration
Primary Care
Public Policy
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Abstract
Pennsylvania is one of 28 states that has not expanded the scope of practice in its licensure laws for certified registered nurse practitioners (NPs), who must maintain formal collaborative agreements with physicians to practice. For many years, proposals to update licensure and adapt it to make it more compatible with current models of collaborative care could not overcome legislative logjams. Recognizing an opportunity to break the logjam, the University of Pennsylvania held a virtual workshop on November 20, 2020, bringing together researchers, health professionals, and consumers to chart a new path forward. This policy brief summarizes their recommendations to update scope of practice regulation to better meet the primary care needs of Pennsylvanians.