The Connecticut House of Representatives approved a bill Monday that would give advanced practice registered nurses more independence in practice, and it is now on its way to the governor's desk for signature.
Under the bill, APRNs would be allowed to diagnose patients and prescribe medication without physician supervision after they had been in practice for three years. In their first three years of practice, a collaborative practice agreement with a physician would still be required.
Gov. Dannel Malloy applauded the bill's approval. "With the healthcare industry growing and changing, access to primary care can be challenging in some communities," he said in a statement. "This bill increases access to primary care across Connecticut by allowing advanced practice registered nurses to do more of what they do so well — evaluating, screening, physical examinations and management of many routine medical conditions."
The Senate approved the bill earlier in April.
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