Background 

In Kansas, advance registered nurse practitioners (ARNPs) are regulated by the Kansas State Board of Nursing. Across the nation, ARNPs/APRNs are regulated by each individual state, causing scope of practice to be fragmented and inconsistent. To aid in the transition for all states to have similar rules and regulations for advance practice nurses (APRNs), in August 2008 the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) endorsed the APRN Model Act/Rules and Regulations. This document details the role of the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) which includes certified nurse practitioners, certified nurse anesthetists, certified nurse midwives, and clinical nurse specialists. The purpose of the document is to provide standardized language all states can utilize to develop laws, policies, and regulations regarding the advanced practice nursing role (NCSBN, 2008).  

Currently in Kansas, the scope of practice of the ARNP role is defined as being able to function in an expanded role providing primary health care, including secondary and tertiary health care, to clients in a variety of settings in the ARNP’s category of advanced practice. The relationship between physicians and APRNs includes authorization to make independent decisions about advanced practice nursing needs and medical decisions based on authorization for collaborative practice with one or more physicians. Authorization for collaborative practice means that the ARNP is authorized to develop and manage the medical plan of care based on an agreement developed and jointly agreed upon by the ARNP and one or more physicians (Kansas State Board of Nursing, 2009). 

 

 

Kansas HB 2447  

 

 

In 2009, the Kansas State Nurses Association (KSNA) organized the Kansas APRN Taskforce with the purpose to research and propose legislation to the Kansas legislature to amend the current Kansas Nurse Practice Act governing advanced practice nursing. Their common goal was to define Advance Practice Nurses as primary care providers, independent to practice based on current education, training and experience, and to aid in expanding access to health care to medically underserved communities in Kansas (Douglass, 2010). The resultant proposal is HB 2447. It includes language consistent with the National Council of State Boards of Nursing's Consensus Model for APRN Regulation and addresses Licensure, Accreditation, Credentialing, and Education (LACE) for APRNs in the state of Kansas. By following the Consensus model, this bill promotes national unity, uniformity, and consistency in regards to the laws governing APRNs and is endorsed by the Kansas State Board of Nursing (Douglass, 2010). As it is currently written, HB 2447 changes the licensure category in Kansas of advanced registered nurse practitioner (ARNP) to advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) through the Kansas State Board of Nursing (KSBN); rules and regulations would be established by KSBN (Douglass, 2010). This bill includes uniform licensing as independent practitioners, requires malpractice insurance, and specifies continuing education requirements. It would allow APRNs to practice and prescribe to the scope of their education without a physician's signed protocol. 

 

 

APRNs will continue to consult or refer patients to physicians when care is required that is beyond their expertise. However, some of the major barriers to practice would be eliminated for those APRNs who are unable to find a willing physician to enter into a collaborative practice agreement due to liability issues (Douglass, 2010). All of these changes would help to attract APRNs to remote and poorer communities in Kansas to set up independent practice and help provide health care to areas that are considered to be medically underserved (Douglass, 2010). 

 

 

References: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Douglass, M. (2010, January). Advance Practice Nurses: An action plan for the state of Kansas. Retrieved February 1, 2010, from Kansas State Nurses Association: http://www.nursingworld.org/SNAS/KS/Advprac.htm

 

 

H.B. 2447, Kansas House of Representatives Session of 2010. Retrieved February 1, 2010, from Kansas Legislature: http://www.kslegislature.org/bills/2010/2447.pdf

Kansas State Board of Nursing. (2009, September). Approved Regulations. Retrieved November 13, 2009, from Kansas State Board of Nursing: http://www.ksbn.org/approvedregs.htm

 

 

KSBN. (2009, September 4). Kansas Nurse Practice Act: Functions of the advanced nurse practitioner; nurse-midwife. Retrieved October 12, 2009, from Kansas State Board of Nursing: http://www.ksbn.org/npa/pages/60-11-105.pdf

 

 

KSNA. (2009). KSNA Advance Practice Nursing. Retrieved October 15, 2009, from Kansas State Nurses Association: http://www.nursingworld.org/SNAS/KS/Advprac.htm

 

 

 

NCSBN. (2008, August). APRN Model Act/Rules and Regulations. Retrieved October 12, 2009, from National Council of State Boards of Nursing: https://www.ncsbn.org/APRN_leg_language_approved_8_08.pdf