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Virtual Lobby Days For Session Week One

Posted about 8 years ago by Regina Pommer

Dear Member,

FNPN is participating in a coordinated weekly Virtual Lobby Day project with the other advanced practice nursing associations in the Florida Coalition of Advanced Practice Nurses. Your involvement is imperative in order to make this a success.  Each week you will be receiving an email with a prepared message. Please take a few minutes to send the communication to your legislators. Please try to send on Wednesdays if possible, but if you miss Wednesday, send it out as soon as you can.

By working together with all the advanced practice nursing associations and speaking with one voice we can have a successful campaign!

Thank you in advance for your participation.

Links to finding your legislators:

Email Message:

Dear Representative or Senator) ______________________

My Name is __________________________.   I am contacting you to ask for your support of Senate Bill 676/House Bill 0423 sponsored by Senator Grimsley and Representative Pigman.  These respective bills will lift costly and unnecessary limitations on advanced practice nurses and allow them to better meet the needs of Floridians.

For your reference I have included below information regarding advanced practice nurses and how they can improve healthcare outcomes in our state while saving money.

Sincerely,

Your Name

Address
_____________________________________________________

ARNPs: Recognize the Scope, Realize the Savings!

With the many health challenges facing our State it is essential that Florida once again become a leader and an innovator in health care delivery!  Advanced Registered Nurses are an essential component of any plan to meet Florida's healthcare needs.

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses provide high quality cost effective healthcare.  Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners (ARNP's) are registered nurses who have attained their masters or doctoral degree as a nurse practitioner and have successfully passed national certification in their field.  Florida was one of the innovators in expanding nursing practice over 25 years ago but now lags far behind the rest of the country.

Advanced practice nurses will be a key component in improving access to healthcare in our state, particularly in rural and underserved populations.  Below you will find a brief summary of the roles of advanced practice nurses.

Nurse Practitioners (NPs):
  • Expert clinicians with Master's and Doctoral degrees who provide primary, acute and specialty health care. They practice independently in almost half of our nation.

  • Provide a full range of services, such as ordering, performing and interpreting diagnostic tests; diagnosing and treating acute and chronic conditions; prescribing medications and treatments; and managing overall patient care.

  • 13,000 NPs practice in Florida today, providing solutions to the health care provider shortage crisis.
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs):
  • Highly educated, advanced practice registered nurses who deliver anesthesia to patients in exactly the same ways, for the same types of procedures and just as safely as physician anesthesiologists. CRNAs are well prepared to respond appropriately in emergency situations.

  • Deliver essential healthcare in thousands of communities and are able to prevent gaps in access to anesthesia services, especially in rural, inner-city and other medically underserved areas of the country.

  • In Florida there are 3000 CRNAs filling the gap in anesthesia care.
Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs):
  • Provide primary healthcare to all women including those of childbearing age, during pregnancy through birth and thereafter and provide gynecological and menopausal care.

  • Most Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs) are prepared at the master's level or above in both nursing and midwifery.

  • In Florida there are 700 CNMs providing care to pregnant women and newborns.

The Institutes of Medicine (IOM) and numerous studies confirm that ALL Advanced Practice Registered Nurses who practice without physician supervision deliver safe high quality patient care resulting in equivalent patient outcomes to physicians. The IOM recommends that in order to increase access to health care, ARNPs practice without the need for supervisory or collaborative physician relationships.

Please support legislation that allow ARNPs to practice to the fullest extent of their education and training.