On Friday, February 2, 300 advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) from across Texas came together at the Austin state capitol to educate lawmakers about policy issues impacting nursing and the need to remove regulatory barriers preventing APRNs from serving Texas patients.
"It's hard to believe that in order to practice in Texas, some APRNs are paying an additional mortgage payment a month to their collaborating physicians," said one nurse practitioner attendee. "Why would any nurse practitioner want to stay in Texas?"
During a health care policy panel moderated by the Texas Tribune, panelists Blake Hutson of AARP-Texas, Dr. Deane Waldman of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, and the offices of Rep. Stephanie Klick and Diana Arevalo, all echoed a single sentiment: Texas has enormous healthcare access challenges, but APRNs could be a key part of the solution.
"There is a great myth out there that no access to care is better than APRN-provided healthcare, and I can tell you this simply isn't the case," said Dr. Deane Waldman, Director of the Texas Public Policy Foundation's Center for Health Care Policy and a retired pediatric cardiologist. "We need to do everything we can to release these practitioners from the regulations and red tape standing in their way."
See highlights from the APRN Capitol Day and an interview with Dr. Deane Waldman here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vMHlJdV6sxw