Back to All NewsAPRNs in Kansas Would Gain Full Independent Practice Thanks to New Bill
Posted By American Med Spa Association, Wednesday, March 27, 2019
Share
A new bill introduced in Kansas would allow advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) to practice without the need for physician supervision. The bill is sponsored by the Committee on Federal and State Affairs in the House and awaits further consideration. You can review the text of House Bill 2412 (HB 2412) in full here.
HB 2412 proposes sweeping changes to Kansas’s current APRN practice laws. Currently, APRNs in Kansas require collaborative practice agreement and written protocols with responsible physicians to authorize their practice and prescriptions. HB 2412 would expand the APRN role to be an independent health care provider who is able to practice without needing a physician. Under HB 2412, APRNs would be able to perform, among other things, advanced assessments, establish diagnoses, and order and administer therapeutic measures; to delegate therapeutic measures to assistants; to collaborate and consult with other health-care providers; and provide referrals. An APRN may prescribe schedule II through V drugs in accordance with state and federal law, though they are prohibited from prescribing any drug that is intended to cause abortion. APRNs also would now need to maintain their own malpractice insurance.
This independent practice would only be granted to APRNs who have practiced under collaboration agreements for more than 4,000 hours. During this collaboration period, the APRN would be known as a “transition period” APRN, and he or she would practice very similarly to how APRNs currently practice in Kansas. After that, however, they would be granted “full practice” and would no longer need any formal agreement with a physician. The national trend has been moving towards allowing APRNs to practice as independent health-care providers independent of the supervision of physicians. HB 2412 is right in line with that trend, and if passed would make Kansas APRNs independent health-care providers in their own right.
We will be monitoring HB 2412 as it works its way through Kansas’ legislative process this year. If you would like to contact HB 2412’s sponsors, they can be reached via the Committee’s website.
HB 2412 proposes sweeping changes to Kansas’s current APRN practice laws. Currently, APRNs in Kansas require collaborative practice agreement and written protocols with responsible physicians to authorize their practice and prescriptions. HB 2412 would expand the APRN role to be an independent health care provider who is able to practice without needing a physician. Under HB 2412, APRNs would be able to perform, among other things, advanced assessments, establish diagnoses, and order and administer therapeutic measures; to delegate therapeutic measures to assistants; to collaborate and consult with other health-care providers; and provide referrals. An APRN may prescribe schedule II through V drugs in accordance with state and federal law, though they are prohibited from prescribing any drug that is intended to cause abortion. APRNs also would now need to maintain their own malpractice insurance.
This independent practice would only be granted to APRNs who have practiced under collaboration agreements for more than 4,000 hours. During this collaboration period, the APRN would be known as a “transition period” APRN, and he or she would practice very similarly to how APRNs currently practice in Kansas. After that, however, they would be granted “full practice” and would no longer need any formal agreement with a physician. The national trend has been moving towards allowing APRNs to practice as independent health-care providers independent of the supervision of physicians. HB 2412 is right in line with that trend, and if passed would make Kansas APRNs independent health-care providers in their own right.
We will be monitoring HB 2412 as it works its way through Kansas’ legislative process this year. If you would like to contact HB 2412’s sponsors, they can be reached via the Committee’s website.
