Autonomy of advanced nurse practitioners pushed

The Commonwealth Board of Nurse Examiners is asking for supporting letters from doctors to allow advanced nurse practitioners in the CNMI to work without the supervision of physicians.

The board wants Senate Bill 16-44—which allows advanced nurse practitioners to work without physicians’ supervision—to be passed by the House.

In a separate eight-point position statement on the bill yesterday, the CNMI Nurse Practitioners Association said the CNMI cannot afford to block the autonomy of “professionally trained” and educated licensed” nurse practitioners given the current shortage of healthcare providers.

“Realize that blocking nurse practitioners autonomy hurts everyone! And will hinder access to healthcare when we are already struggling with lack of healthcare providers,” said the group.

Nursing board chair Bertha P. Camacho urges physicians and others in the community to show support to the bill by attending the House session on Tuesday.

“Your presence will be greatly appreciated but if you can not be there, a supporting letter will be just as important,” Camacho said yesterday. She said she or somebody from her office can pick up the support letter and brought to the Southern Community Wellness Center in San Antonio.

Camacho said supporting letters from physicians will help lawmakers understand that there are physicians who support the autonomy of nurse practitioners and provide collaborative care rather than “delegative” care.

The nurses group urged lawmakers to recognize that the CNMI currently has professionally trained and educated licensed nurse practitioners for over seven years who can provide safe, quality health care.

The group said these practitioners have been proven to significantly improve access to quality health care services, including those at the Southern Community Wellness Center Women’s Clinic at the Commonwealth Health Center, Tinian Health Center, and Rota Health Center.

“[Key leaders should] realize that with the economy sinking and the number of uninsured persons rising, legislators must release themselves from medical society influences and listen to consumer and patient needs,” said the nursing group.

S.B. 16-44, introduced by Sen. Joseph M. Mendiola, has already been transmitted to the House of Representatives which will have a session on Tuesday.

In the bill, Mendiola said since advanced practice registered nurses also hold degrees, they can attend independently to patients, and serve as “alternative health care providers.”

The Senate Health and Welfare Committee, in its report recommending the bill’s passage, cited the difficulty of recruiting physicians and the lack of staff at the hospital and other health centers in the CNMI.

The report said health care is severely disrupted when a doctor goes on vacation or abruptly leaves, which has happened many times.