On April 4th, Governor Northam signed HB 793. The measure would allow nurse practitioners (NPs) with five years of full-time clinical experience to obtain approval to practice without maintaining burdensome, sometimes costly contracts with a physician. This legislation is a massive step towards lowering barriers to practice for NPs throughout Virginia and was passed with near-unanimous support.
"I think it's a milestone for nurse practitioners here in Virginia," said Cynthia Fagan, who handles government relations as an officer with the Virginia Council of Nurse Practitioners. "I think it's a great opportunity for increasing access to care for the citizens of the commonwealth." The Virginia Department of Health Professions has determined that nearly 50% of the 7,700 NPs currently practicing in Virginia would be immediately eligible to benefit from this bill, as they have already completed the equivalent of five or more years of practice. Read the news article here: https://www.wsls.com/news/virginia/southwest-virginia/nursing-organizations-applaud-nurse-practitioner-bill