The State Senate voted Wednesday in favor of legislation that would allow nurse practitioners to practice without a physician’s oversight.
Senate bill No. 36, backed by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, would allow nurses with certain credentials that fall under the umbrella of “advance practice registered nurses,” or ARPNs, to practice independently after three years of collaboration with a doctor.
Malloy and others have pitched the idea as a way to increase access to health care and to lower costs.
There are approximately 4,000 APRNs in Connecticut.
Nurses and other supporters of the bill argue that the influx of newly insured residents fueled by the Affordable Care Act will lead to a shortage of primary care doctors, and that nurses can be a key part of solving that problem.
The Connecticut State Medical Society opposes the bill, noting that it would allow nurses to diagnose treatment for diseases and prescribe controlled substances without the oversight of licensed physicians, who have approximately six times the amount of clinical training time.
“APRNs are valuable care extension resources, but they are not a substitute for a trained and licensed physician,” the society wrote in testimony.
