The battle over the Improving Care and Access to Nurses (ICAN) Act is heating up. The American Medical Association (AMA) is bombarding the media with press releases over the “dangers” of allowing nonphysicians to treat patients.
Nursing News - Year: 2022
Virginia Healthcare Community Offers Safety Tips Amid Surge in Flu, Respiratory Virus Cases and Hospitalizations
The Virginia healthcare community is encouraging Virginians who haven’t done so to get vaccinated against flu, get vaccinated or boosted against COVID-19, and to take personal prevention steps as we enter the flu and respiratory illness season. This year’s flu season is already showing early, concerning signs that it may be worse than in recent years. There are also increasing numbers of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) cases, which may cause serious illness and hospitalization in children and older adults. If these trends continue, this could strain healthcare systems in some communities.
APP Leaders Discuss What Keeps Them Up at Night
Presidents from 5 advanced practice provider (APP) associations shined a light on strategies to increase the health care workforce, key bills that may change the practice landscape, how to create greater diversity among practitioners, and what keeps them up at night at an online panel discussion held in honor of the second annual National APP Week.
Urge your Representative to Co-Sponsor this Bill! (p2a.co)
The Improving Care and Access to Nurses Act (ICAN), H.R. 8812, promotes patient access to health care services delivered by the provider of their choice by removing outdated Medicare and Medicaid barriers on advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs). We’re calling all CNSs to start a conversation in person and online about ICAN. Let’s continue to advocate and break down barriers for CNSs. To learn more about ICAN visit the American Nurses Association Website.
A 21st Century Renaissance Man: Sean M. Reed Puts Diverse Experience to Work
Read the most recent press release from our affiliate the Rhode Island Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists
We are pleased to introduce the Rhode Island Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (RI-CNS). RI-CNS serves to meet the needs of CNSs across the state regardless of specialty or area of practice. The mission of RI-CNS is to promote the full scope of practice for CNSs, and to promotes the value and increases the visibility of the CNS among healthcare organizations, administrators, healthcare professionals and the public.
Nurse Coffee Talk: Unstoppable Advocacy with Dr. Phyllis Whitehead, President NACNS
Augustana University to add master’s of science in nursing program this fall
Augustana University is planning to offer a master’s of science in nursing program starting this fall.
The program will have an emphasis in two areas: adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner (AG-ACNP) and adult-gerontology clinical nurse specialist (AG-CNS).
By the summer of 2023, the university will also offer two post-master’s certificate options, including AG-ACNP and AG-CNS.
The program additions are part of Augustana’s “Viking Bold: The Journey to 2030″ strategic plan, which identified the goal of developing graduate degree programs, responsive to new and emerging student interests and community needs.
To gauge the level of demand for graduate nursing programs in Sioux Falls and across the region, the Department of Nursing conducted a feasibility study that included an environmental scan of competitive local and regional nursing programs, comparing curriculum and costs, as well as surveys of prospective students and AU alumni.
The 2021 South Dakota Nursing Workforce Report indicated that more than 78% of certified nurse practitioners in South Dakota are family nurse practitioners and less than 11% had an acute care certification, according to a press release from the university.
The 2021 report also showed that the number of clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) in the state decreased by nearly 13% from 2018, with another 41% of CNSs stating that they planned to retire or leave practice in the next five years, according to the university.
Prospective students indicated an interest in attaining a graduate nursing degree across more than a dozen areas of specialties, including nursing administration and leadership, ACNP and CNS.
“We are really excited to be entering this phase of nursing education,” Dr. Lynn White, associate professor of nursing, said. “At the same time, we’re also very concerned about, and have an eye on, the nursing and health care workforce needs of the community.”
Currently, South Dakota does not have academic programming that trains acute care nurse practitioners or clinical nurse specialists, according to Augustana University.
And there are very few adult-geriatric acute care nurse practitioners, Pamela Barthle, assistant professor of nursing and an AG-ACNP in cardiology at Sanford Health, said.
“There’s not an abundance in South Dakota because there are really no resources for that,” Barthle said. “I believe the hospitals see the benefit in having that specialty.”
White also said that there’s a gap in clinical nurse specialist education, and there aren’t many CNSs in the workforce in South Dakota and many of those who are in the workforce are of retirement age.
Nurses who hold a Bachelor of Science degree and valid nursing license with nursing practice experience are eligible to apply to Augustana’s graduate nursing program.
The program will be delivered in a hybrid model with the curriculum designed to accommodate students who work while enrolled in the program. The certificate programs will provide an opportunity for nurses who already have received their master’s degree in a different nursing specialty area to become certified as an ACNP or CNS.
Barach Nursing Annual Report Highlights CNS
Produced and published by the Henry Ford Health System.
Informing and Supporting the New Clinical Nurse Specialist Prescriber
Advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) in the United States are trained to diagnose and treat disease and illness, hence, to prescribe. Of the APRN roles, the clinical nurse specialist (CNS) is the least likely to prescribe. Prescribing is one of many advanced care interventions performed by CNSs, but the statutes regarding prescriptive authority are constantly changing. The purpose of this article is to inform and support the new CNS prescriber. The article reviews CNS prescribing, credentialing and privileging, safety strategies, and educational considerations that influence CNS prescribing and offers current recommendations for new CNS prescribers. Clinical nurse specialist prescribing can enhance the patient care experience and fill unmet prescriptive needs for patients. Overall, more reports on the outcomes of CNS prescribing are urgently needed, specifically, publications on CNS prescribing in acute care, where most CNSs practice.