A Senate committee debated an effort that could help attract more advanced practice registered nurses to Missouri in a hearing Wednesday.
The proposal, which would offer the nurses — known as APRNs — a license, could help in recruiting them to the state, particularly to rural areas where there is a lack of health care providers.
Missouri has over 99,000 registered nurses, according to a 2015 survey done by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. According to that same survey, of those 99,000 RNs, more than 8,000 are APRNs.
APRNs are nurses with at least a master’s degree and education in specific patient populations and patient care roles—such as clinical nurse specialists, certified nurse midwifes, certified nurse practitioners or certified registered nurse anesthetists — according to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.
In most states, both RNs and APRNs require a license, but in Missouri, APRNs only get a “document of recognition.” Lawmakers want to change that.
To read more, visit our partners at the Columbia Missourian.