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Give Michigan Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs)
the Right to Write!!
The Demand for Health Care Services Is Growing
In Michigan, demand is strong and growing for cost-effective, high quality health care services:
- Michigan’s population is aging. Older patients access health care services far more frequently, requiring more care-givers.
- The Medicaid caseload is skyrocketing — one in seven Michigan residents now rely on Medicaid for health care.
- Michigan is one of the highest ranked states for the levels of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, asthma and hypertension. These are very costly health problems if not managed aggressively.
Who Will Provide the Care?
Indeed the demand for health care services is apparent in Michigan. But who will provide the care?
Michigan is facing a worsening shortage of health care professionals — especially nurses and physicians — to deliver cost-effective, high quality treatment. Shortages are acute in Michigan’s inner cities and rural areas.
One Solution: Pass state Senate Bill 1245 to Give APNs the Right to Write
One obvious public policy solution is for Michigan to join with at least 37 other states and allow Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) to fully provide the care that they are educated to deliver.
To improve access to health care services, to help address the growing shortage of care-givers, and to help keep health care costs in check, Michigan should give APNs the right to write. Pass state Senate Bill 1245.
Click here to write your elected officials now and tell them you believe Michigan APNs should have the Right to Write!
Click here to download Senate Bill 1245 lanugage!
Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs):
Highly Educated, Highly Qualified to Prescribe Independently
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While completing their advanced university degrees, APNs complete comparable or more hours of pharmacology training than doctors and other prescribers.
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APNs are educationally prepared and board certified to prescribe medications independently of physicians.
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APNs are experts at treating and working in partnerships with patients to establish individualized management plans for chronic health problems like diabetes, hypertension, asthma, etc. They educate their patients on how to manage their health, which reduces the number of medications needed to control illnesses, improves patient compliance with management and reduces the need for more costly services like additional diagnostic studies or hospitalizations.
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Michigan’s 3,000 APNs treat more than three million patients per year.
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APNs have graduate-level education in primary care and specialty health care areas.
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APNs deliver more than 8,000 babies per year in Michigan.
What are Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs)?
Nurses with specialty certification — commonly known as advanced practice nurses (APNs) — are registered nurses who have formal advanced education beyond their bachelor’s level nursing degrees.
All APN education in Michigan occurs in college master’s-level programs at schools such as Grand Valley State University, Madonna University, Michigan State University, Northern Michigan University, Oakland University, Saginaw Valley State University, University of Detroit Mercy, University of Michigan and Wayne State University.
Their education prepares APNs to engage in independent decision-making and to provide health care to individuals, families and groups across the life span.
Nurse Midwives and Nurse Practitioners are recognized by the Michigan Public Health Code, and are granted specialty certification. Both specialties are required by the Board of Nursing to hold a current and valid license to practice as a registered nurse, successfully complete an academic program in their respective specialty area, and successfully pass a board-approved, nationally recognized certification examination.
Their extensive education and preparation allow APNs to play an important role in delivering personalized, quality-driven, cost-effective health care services to Michigan’s citizens.
Advanced Degrees, Advanced Pharmacology Training
With their advanced degrees and extensive clinical practice training, APNs (Nurse Practitioners and Nurse Midwives) provide primary care and acute health care services to more than three million patients and deliver more than 8,000 babies in Michigan every year. Whether working in clinics, nursing homes, hospitals or their own offices, APNs can work in these environments precisely because they are educated to do so.
At the Michigan universities that offer both nursing and physician programs, APNs graduate with comparable — and sometimes more — hours (75 to 180 hours) of pharmacology education than doctors (44 to 92 hours).
APNs are also required to complete between 500 and 2,000 hours of clinical practice before taking the national board certification exam — ensuring their formal education is coupled with an ample of amount of clinical training to properly prepare them to treat patients.
Michigan Law on APNs Limits Health Care Access, Drives Up Costs
Despite their advanced degrees and extensive clinical practice experience, and despite the fact that they have been treating patients for everything from common colds to more serious illnesses for decades, APNs still are not allowed to fully utilize their extensive education. Current language in the public health code does not include APNs as those authorized to prescribe independently.
NPs and NMs are allowed only to prescribe under delegation of a licensed physician — a stipulation that leads to unnecessary confusion for patients, higher costs for health insurance companies and patients, and a reduced number of health care providers in underserved areas.
Pass State Senate Bill 1245:
Give Michigan APNs the Right to Write
Michigan can join with the 37 other states where APNs have the right to write — to prescribe medications independent of delegation from the physician.
Legislation (Senate Bill 1245) has been introduced in the Michigan Senate that would give APNs the right to prescribe medications without physician delegation. The lead sponsor is state Sen. Bev Hammerstrom, R-Temperance, the Senate Majority Floor Leader and chairperson of the Senate Health Policy Committee.
Help Us Win Passage of State Senate Bill 1245:
Join the Right to Write Coalition Today
Help Sen. Hammerstrom and our coalition of APNs, physicians, nursing school deans, nursing organizations, public health experts, hospital executives and others improve access to health care services and keep health care costs in check.
Here’s how you can help:
Join our coalition.
We’ll list you as a supporter of giving APNs the Right to Write. We’ll keep you up to date on important developments regarding the legislation, including scheduled hearings and votes in the state Legislature.
As a coalition member, please bookmark this Web site and visit it for the latest information on SB 1245.
Contact your local elected officials.
Whether you pick up the phone and call, write out a letter, or send them an email, the most important thing is that you let them know you believe Michigan's APNs deserve the Right to Write!
Toolkit for coalition building and support gathering.
If you want to help show our legislature that we are not alone in our fight for the Right to Write, but you are unable to get to Lansing to testify, or are short on time during your busy schedule - don't worry - you can still help! Download the support petitions, and gather signatures of support. The more signatures we have, the better our chances are of passing SB 1245.
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