Advocate for CNS Legislation!

The 2023 Legislative General Assembly will begin on the second Wednesday in January, and last for approximately 30 days.  For the 2023 session, VaCNS will file two bills.  One bill will change the title of CNSs from "Nurse Practitioner in the category of Clinical Nurse Specialist" to "APRN-CNS" and the second bill will require APRNs to be regulated solely by the Virginia Board of Nursing.  These changes align with the APRN Consensus Model.  Below is a brief explanation of the two bills.  Additonally, links to the Virginia Nurses Association website are included to guide you to the VNA Advocacy hours being held in Nov and Dec for your area of residence. Lastly is the link to finding your legislator.  

Advancing Full Practice Authority

Eliminate Oversight of the Committee of the Joint Boards of Medicine and Nursing

In addition to being regulated by the Board of Nursing, regulations governing Virginia’s advanced practice registered nurses (APRN) must go through an additional and unnecessary layer of approval by the Committee of the Joint Boards of Nursing and Medicine. A 2021 study by the Department of Health Professions noted that Virginia is one of only three states with this extra layer of bureaucracy. This requirement is incongruent with the national APRN Consensus Model, and the 2021 DHP study recommends regulating APRN nurses solely under the Board of Nursing.

Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Titling 

Currently, all Virginia APRNs are titled as nurse practitioners in the Code of Virginia. State law should be updated to reflect titling as APRN and reflect the role of each APRN group to include Nurse Practitioners, Certified Nurse Midwives, Clinical Nurse Specialists, and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists. This is consistent with the APRN consensus model and was recommended by the 2021 study of APRNs by the Department of Health Professions.

 

VNA will be holding 10 online Advocacy Hours in November and December. Participants will learn about Nursing's 2023 Public Policy Platform, hear from their local legislators and VNA chapter leaders, and virtually network with nurses in their area. You do not need to be a VNA member to attend these free events, but you must register to receive the meeting link. If you don't see your legislators, please check our event calendar for another advocacy hour in your area. Direct any questions to VNA Membership Manager MJ Gearles at mgearles@virginianurses.com. 

VNA Legislative Advocacy Hours:  https://virginianurses.com/events/event_list.asp?DGPCrSrt=&DGPCrPg=1

Please see the attached resources that will guide you in contacting your legislators related to these proposed bills.   Click this link to find your Legislator:     https://whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov/