AANP Response to The Wall Street Journal, May 30 Opinion- With Link to Article

"To the editor:

How to Fix the Veterans Affairs Mess (Opinion, May 30) fails to mention that the VA can improve care for veterans by removing needless restrictions imposed on the centers' nurse practitioners.

Decades of third-party research shows that nurse practitioner services are equivalent to those of physicians. These findings have garnered the support of such leading organizations as the FTC, AARP and the National Governors Association and have prompted nineteen states and the District of Columbia to grant nurse practitioners full practice authority.

Unfortunately, some physicians and organized medical groups maintain that nurse practitioners require physician supervision. This attitude and the status quo it reinforces create greater roadblocks for veterans who desperately need care.

It's time to let go of this 19th century guild mentality. Nurse practitioners can help alleviate the VA's physician shortage. The data shows they are up for the task. It's past time the VA – one of the largest employers of nurse practitioners in the nation - allows NPs to practice to the full extent of their education and training."

Angela Golden, Co-President, American Association of Nurse Practitioners

Source: AANP E-Bulletin