Scoping out health care worker shortages.

• Author: Enlund, Sydne
• Position: STATESTATS

In areas where there are not enough doctors and nurses to keep up with the demand for their services--such as rural and underserved urban areas--state legislators are broadening the roles of some licensed health professionals through "scope of practice" laws. Supporters say that expanding the authority of nurse practitioners, physician assistants, dental hygienists and other oral health providers to perform additional procedures, treatments and actions would help alleviate health workforce shortages.

Legislators have considered dozens of bills over the past several years. New Jersey lawmakers, for example, voted last year to allow greater flexibility in the way physician assistants provide care. The law removed the requirement that a physician must always be present and allowed the physician assistant to work with a physician to define his or her personal scope of practice. Maryland and Nebraska passed legislation in 2015 to allow nurse practitioners to practice without physician oversight.

Scope of practice bills often bring out passionate advocates with different points of view. Proponents of these laws say licensed professionals can be trained more quickly and less expensively than physicians without compromising quality. Some physician groups disagree and argue that physicians' longer, more intensive training equips them to diagnose more accurately and treat patients more safely.

For those interested in more information, there's a new website created by NCSL and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials that focuses on scope of practice policies for nurse practitioners...