PA law will expand nurse-practitioner role
It appears Pennsylvania Gov. Edward G. Rendell (D) will sign a bill today expanding the permitted scope of practice for the state's nurse practitioners. The move is part of a package of changes being pushed by Rendell as part of his health reform agenda for the state. The new law will allow nurse practitioners to perform new functions, including ordering wheelchairs, treating chronically ill patients in their homes and referring patients to specialists like occupational therapists. The new law also will give other professionals new powers; for example, certified midwives will get prescribing powers, and dental hygienists will be allowed to clean teeth without direct dentist supervision.
The director of the Governor's Office of Health Care Reform, Rosemary Greco, says giving nurse practitioners greater freedom will mean some patients face shorter waits for care, as they'll no longer be waiting in line for scarce physician time.
To learn more about the new legislation:
- read this The Philadelphia Inquirer piece
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By Jeff Friend | Posted 12:47pm | April 2, 2008
Sorry, but maybe Gov. Rendell should clean up Philadelphia's teaching-hospitals first.
Fact: No random drug-testing = institutional neglect, by waiting until it's TOO LATE.
Fact: If challenged, addicts are allowed to refuse & get dismissed, rather than get license demerits.
Fact: Hospitals are AGAIN culpable, by NOT doing employer background checks. If a clinician has been monitored to the point of getting challenged, then fired, it's ALL still in their employee record!
So how can junkies just walk across the street and get jobs again? Hospitals cannot afford to lose many, many employees with random tests, and patient safety is SECONDARY.
Judgementally-compromised addicts in ORs & ICUs is INEXCUSABLE.
http://www.menshealth.com/cda/article.do?site=MensHealth&channel=health&category=doctors.hospitals&conitem=d7a4dfaa4d41e010VgnVCM20000012281eac____#ReaderComments
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