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Missouri lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow nurse practitioners (NPs) to practice independently, according to NPR. Right now, Missouri NPs are required to have a “collaborating” physician who provides oversight, which comes with a financial cost for operators while also driving many NPs to move to neighboring states where they can practice independently, according to the report. Compared to other states, Missouri has one of the strictest laws for NP scope of practice. Under SB 1016, if an NP completes 2,000 hours of supervised practice with a physician, that NP could advance to independent practice without physician oversight. Proponents of the bill in Missouri are concerned that if the bill doesn’t pass, the state may lose some rural healthcare grants. If the bill passes, urgent care operators will no longer have to hire supervising physicians just to keep their NP-staffed clinics legally compliant, and at the same time, it would also open up the potential for expansion of NP-led clinics into rural areas.
Backbone of the workforce: “Nationally, approximately 86% of urgent care visits are seen by nurse practitioners and physician assistants, proving that these professionals are already the backbone of our industry’s clinical workforce,” says Alan Ayers, President of Urgent Care Consultants and Senior Editor of JUCM. “By passing Senate Bill 1016 and removing outdated collaborative practice requirements, Missouri has the opportunity to eliminate unnecessary administrative overhead, empower veteran nurse practitioners, and dramatically expand patient access to walk-in care—especially in rural markets where the provider shortage is most acute.”