Pennsylvania Coalition of Nurse Practitioners

Pennsylvania's NP restrictions can have “kind of silly” outcomes, like allowing NPs to prescribe insulin but prevent them from approving diabetic shoes for a patient without a doctor signing off on it. “There are a lot of really ridiculous limitations for nurse practitioners in primary care,” said Dallas Riley, a certified registered nurse practitioner and partner of Hall & Riley Comprehensive Healthcare outside Wilkes-Barre. These restrictions limit what sorts of health care NPs can provide and limit the economic viability of working independently, which ultimately limits patient access to care. #PCNP #NursePractitioners #CareForPA #CRNPs #AccessToCare #PatientOutcomes #PrimaryCare

Register now for PCNP's live webinar on July 25 –– it's free to register and attend! Did you know that wearable technology can be a helpful tool for rapid detection of arrhythmic episodes in patients? Join us to review a case study and learn more about how today's wearable tech can provide additional information you can use to assist in patient care. This live webinar will be presented by Deborah Dillon, PCNP member and founding director of Duquesne University's Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program. Join Dr. Dillon and PCNP live on July 25th at 1 PM! Register for this FREE educational webinar today! 🧑💻 ➡️ bit.ly/7-25-Webinar ⬅️ #PCNP #NursePractitioners #Webinar #ContinuingEducation #Healthcare #Nursing #Arrhythmias #WearableTech

Get ready to network, learn, and take in the scenic mountain views of the surrounding 🏔️ Laurel Highlands 🏔️ at 2,240 ft! PCNP's 21st Annual Conference will take place at the Seven Springs Conference Center on November 14th-16th, 2024. Join us to enhance your knowledge and skills as a nurse practitioner while earning continuing education credits, and to stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in health care and nursing. It's also a great way to connect, network, and learn from other NPs and healthcare professionals! Learn more and view this year's workshops, educational sessions, schedule of events, and registration information here ➡️ bit.ly/PCNP-Conference We can't wait to see you there! #PCNP #EducationalConference #ContinuingEducation #NursePractitioners #Pennsylvania #Nursing #HealthcareProfessionals

"Why in the world would we not let our nurse practitioners in these underserved areas free of the collaborative agreements that they have to operate under — when other states don't have them at all? And we continue to do that in a state that cannot find enough doctors. Why wouldn't we encourage that in every way?" While this may appear to be about Pennsylvania, it's actually a quote from Mississippi House Speaker Jason White! The healthcare crisis Speaker White is concerned about in his home state is also happening right here in Pennsylvania, where restrictions on NP practice are blocking patients' access to care and worsening healthcare shortages. It's time to grant nurse practitioners full practice authority and allow them to do the job they've been trained to do! #NursePractitioners #FullPracticeAuthority #AccessToCare #RuralHealth #HealthcareShortage #CareForPA

"It is reasonable, it is responsible, and Pennsylvania’s communities are ready. They are ready because they are feeling the effects every day of the workforce shortages across the Commonwealth. Here in Pennsylvania, we have some of the most severe shortages in the nation, and this will only worsen without action as our Commonwealth ages. We need a comprehensive and sustained effort to ensure Pennsylvanians have access to the care they need, when they need it. And this includes ensuring health professionals are able to practice at the top of their license. This means they should be able to fully utilize their training and their expertise, and this is especially true in rural communities where advanced practice professionals play a critical role in ensuring access to safe and high quality care." – Nicole Stallings President & CEO, Hospital Association of PA (HAP) #NursePractitioners #CareForPA #FullPracticeAuthority #HealthcareAccess #HealthcareProfessionals #SB25 #HB1825

"I've had people tell me that they couldn't be a nurse practitioner in their hometown because there wasn't a doctor left to have a collaborative agreement." Senate Bill 25 sponsor Senator Camera Bartolotta discussed how this legislation would benefit Pennsylvanians and make it easier for NPs to practice in rural and underserved areas. NPs currently need a collaborative agreement with a physician in order to practice in Pennsylvania, which can be difficult and expensive to obtain. But Senate Bill 25 would remove this restriction, allowing NPs to practice in areas that currently lack healthcare options, including communities without any local doctors. And as Senator Bartolotta explains, many Pennsylvania NPs don't want to leave PA and would rather serve their local communities with quality, safe, accessible health care. "They want to stay in Pennsylvania, in their neighborhoods, and do what they do best. And that is to provide excellent health care to their friends and neighbors." #SenateBill25 #HouseBill1825 #FullPracticeAuthority #NursePractitioners #CareForPA #HealthcareAccess #PatientCare #AccessForAll

Rep. Tarik Khan describes collaborative agreements as “contracts with physicians that the nurse practitioner or organization has to pay between $1,000 and $2,000 a month for." And that money is paid to the physician. “This is a physician who will never see the patient and will never look at their chart,” Rep. Khan added. Nurse practitioners regularly collaborate with specialists and other health professionals as needed. They don't collaborate because of a written agreement, but because collaboration is a routine part of working in the healthcare field and providing quality patient care. #NursePractitioners #HealthcareAccess #FullPracticeAuthority #PatientCare #AccessToCare #SB25 #HB1825

"I can’t emphasize enough how important nurse practitioners are to the Community Health Centers, but more importantly – it’s about patients first.  Patients are the most important part of this equation. Patients are the ones who can’t access health care. It’s not just primary care, it’s behavioral health services.  Nurse practitioners are filling that gap day in and day out across the state. We have 375 locations across Pennsylvania.  We cannot find enough physicians to care for those folks.  80% of the million people we care for every day are on Medicaid or uninsured. Nurse practitioners are the backbone of what we do day in and day out.  We employ more than 300 nurse practitioners across Pennsylvania.  They care for 750,000 patients every year.  That’s why Senate Bill 25 and House Bill 1825 are so incredibly important to the future of health care." – Eric Kiehl, PA Association of Community Health #NursePractitioners #CareForPA #FullPracticeAuthority #HB1825 #SB25 #AccessToCare #PatientsFirst #CommunityHealthAccess

Pennsylvania is facing a healthcare crisis, with hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians living in areas with no medical professionals. ABC27 spoke with legislators and NPs to learn how full practice authority could drastically expand access to health care for all Pennsylvanians and provide a solution to this crisis. “We are able to diagnose, order tests, order screenings, and treat patients,” says nurse practitioner and PA Rep. Tarik Khan. But despite their valuable skills and qualifications, Pennsylvania still requires restrictive collaborative agreements for NPs to provide the same care that they could provide independently in neighboring states. Pennsylvania can work to solve this healthcare access crisis by passing full practice authority legislation, keeping skilled NPs here in Pennsylvania and helping patients access the care they need. Watch ABC27's recent coverage of this important issue at the link below! #NursePractitioners #CareForPA #FullPracticeAuthority #HealthcareCrisis #AccessToCare #HB1825 #SB25

During #PrideMonth, PCNP celebrates diversity in our membership, our patients, and our communities. Nurse practitioners are dedicated to respectful, high-quality care for all patients, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender, and gender identity or expression. While LGBTQIA+ communities still face unjust disparities in health care, PCNP continues to support and advocate for inclusive and equitable health care for all. #PCNP #Pride2024 #LGBTQIA #NursePractitioners #CelebrateDiversity #HealthEquity #AccessForAll #WholePatientCare #InclusiveHealthCare