WHAT IS A NURSE PRACTITIONER?
Nurse Practitioners (NPs) are Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) who have master’s, and often doctorate degrees and extensive clinical training in the diagnosis and management of common and complex medical conditions. A part of our country’s health care system since 1965, NPs consult and collaborate with health care colleagues, working everywhere from large hospital settings and medical offices to free and mobile health clinics. NPs diagnose and treat acute and chronic conditions; order, perform and interpret diagnostic tests; prescribe medications and other treatments; and counsel and educate patients about smart lifestyle choices. Over 100 studies have proven that NPs provide safe, high-quality, cost-effective health care.
ABOUT HOUSE BILL 971
About House Bill 971
During the 2024 General Assembly Session, and with the support of Del. Kathy Tran, the Virginia Council of Nurse Practitioners supported HB 971. This legislation reduced the transition to practice requirement for nurse practitioners (NPs) in Virginia to three years and amended the code to allow an existing practice agreement to continue by following specific procedures if a patient care team physician dies, loses their license or experiences another extenuating circumstance.
LOWER BARRIERS TO PRACTICE = A BRIGHTER TOMORROW
Virginia’s current 5-year transition to practice requirement was passed in 2018 and is the most restrictive in the nation. Since that time, there have been significant changes in health care including increasing physician shortages, a growing aging population and a greater number of patients with chronic diseases. Reducing the transition to practice requirement for NPs will allow NPs to deliver much-needed care to patients in the Commonwealth.
During the COVID state of emergency and for one year following the 2021 General Assembly session, Virginia’s NPs with two or more years of experience were eligible to practice without a practice agreement, which had no negative repercussions.
More than half the states, the District of Columbia and the Veterans Administration have laws and regulations embracing NPs and allowing for full practice authority. Of the states with transition to practice requirements, most require 2 years. Virginia is the only state with a 5-year requirement.