The American Nurses Association is calling on Congress to include actions to support the nation's nursing workforce in any end-of-year package legislation.
ANA outlined six bills the association would like lawmakers to pass:
1. The Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act (R. 1195/S. 4182) would require the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to develop and enforce specific workplace safety standards for healthcare employers.
2. The Improving Access and Care to Nurses Act (R. 8812) would remove Medicare and Medicaid barriers that prevent advanced practice registered nurses from practicing at the top of the licenses.
3. The Future Advancement of Academic Nursing Act (R. 851/S. 246) would provide funding to modernize educational programs and increase the number of faculty at nursing schools.
4. The Improving Access to Workers' Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act (R. 6087) would permit nurse practitioners to certify disabilities and oversee care for injured federal workers.
5. The Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act (H.R. 1384) would end requirements for providers, including APRNs, to apply for a Drug Enforcement Administration waiver to dispense buprenorphine to individuals with opioid use disorder.
"These legislative priorities are necessary to protect nurses in the workforce, support their mental health and well-being and remove barriers that they often face when providing safe and quality patient care," ANA said in a Dec. 1 news release.