A new bill signed into law Sept. 29 will allow nurse practitioners in California to practice medicine without the supervision of physicians, according to The Sacramento Bee.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill, which allows nurse practitioners to practice independent of physicians by 2023. The law requires nurse practitioners to work under a physician's supervision for a minimum of three years before practicing independently, The Sacramento Bee reports.
Currently, even nurse practitioners in the state who have master's or doctorate degrees in nursing and additional certification cannot practice without physician supervision.
The author of the legislation, Assemblyman Jim Wood, D-Healdsburg, said the legislation aims to increase the number of primary care providers in the state, as there are many rural and low-income communities without adequate access to primary care, The Sacramento Bee reports.
Opponents of the measure say that nurse practitioners do not have the appropriate training to practice independently, which may result in patient safety issues.
California joins 28 other U.S. states that allow nurse practitioners to practice independently, The Sacramento Bee reports.
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