Statement of National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS) Board President Anne Hysong, MSN, APRN, CCNS, ACNS-BC
“Congress took a vitally important step to reduce the terrible toll our country’s opioid crisis is taking by expanding the health care providers who can treat opioid use disorder by prescribing buprenorphine. Clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) are among the advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) added to the list of buprenorphine-prescribing providers in the legislation the conference committee reported. This is a potentially life-saving move that will allow CNSs to use their skills, expertise and clinical knowledge to help end this devastating condition.