The Next Passenger on the Health Train: Physician Assistants

fl legBy: Jackie Bain

The scope of Physician Assistants’ practice is a dynamic and hotly debated area of law which shares many similarities with the nurse supervision issues we covered in a recent article (available here). House Bill 1275 would have also allowed for an expansion in the PA field and was included on the “Health Train” compilation of bills introduced during the Florida legislature’s recent session. As we know nothing on the Train passed before the session ended and though it may gain forward momentum next time, here’ how the laws stand today: Continue reading

Physicians & Nurses in for a Long Ride on the Health Train

npsBy: Jackie Bain

Nearly half of U.S. States have already expanded the scope of nursing practice and several more are analyzing whether it is appropriate.  The debate between physicians and nurses regarding how much autonomy a nurse should be given is a political hotbed that will likely be revisited by the legislature in the near future.  Until that time, the Board of Medicine and the Board of Nursing will quietly continue to enforce the present requirements. Here’s how they stand today:

Under Florida’s current laws, in addition to the practice of professional nursing, an advanced registered nurse practitioner (“ARNP”) may perform acts of medical diagnosis, treatment and prescription. However, for the most part, such acts must be performed under the general supervision of a physician.  The nature of such a supervisory relationship should be identified in a protocol which identifies the medical acts to be performed and the conditions for their performance.Continue reading