A group of Republican state lawmakers – including Sen. Pat Testin (R- Stevens Point) and Representative Rachael Cabral-Guevara (R-Appleton) – recently introduced an advanced practice registered nurse bill (AB 396 / SB 394). The proposal creates a new license issued by the Wisconsin Board of Nursing for advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), which includes Nurse Practitioners, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, and Certified Nurse Midwives.  

The bill’s authors and supporting nursing organizations claim the legislation and is necessary to help address Wisconsin’s health care provider shortage and provide clarity to the scope of practice of APRNs. They believe it will help provide regulatory flexibility and assist with removing barriers to allow these providers to practice within their scope in underserved areas of the state.

However, other health care provider groups, including the Wisconsin Medical Society have raised concerns over numerous provisions in the bill. They believe the legislation will improperly expand the APRN scope of practice by eliminating the requirement for these practitioners to collaborate with physicians and allow them to diagnose and treat patients independently from a physician.

The legislation, which was introduced earlier this month and is currently under consideration by the Assembly and Senate Health Committees, is supported by the Wisconsin Nurses Association, the Wisconsin Association of Nurse Anesthetists, WPS Health Insurance, and United HealthCare Services. Opposition to the proposal includes the state medical society and the Wisconsin Society of Anesthesiologists.