FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Nov. 12, 2021
Contact: Carl Ginsburg, carl.ginsburg@nysna.org, 917-405-1060
NYSNA Nurses Celebrate Nurse Practitioner Week; Urge Policymakers to Make the Nurse Modernization Act Permanent
New York – During Nurse Practitioner Week, NYSNA healthcare workers urged policymakers to make the Nurse Modernization Act (NPMA) permanent. The NPMA expanded the scope of NPs’ independent practice and their collaboration with medical doctors (MDs). Nurse Practitioners (NPs) provide a wide range of care to patients in more than 1 billion visits annually. As clinicians blend clinical expertise with an added emphasis on disease prevention and health management, NPs are the healthcare provider of choice for millions of Americans.
“Every day, nurse practitioners (NPs) save lives and improve the health of our friends and family,” said Kristle Simms-Murphy, FNP. “The global COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that NPs are essential to our healthcare system. Research has shown that patients seen by NPs have higher satisfaction ratings, and we want to ensure that NPs receive the support they need to continue providing quality care.”
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, nurse practitioners went the extra mile. They were redeployed where they were needed most, including in ICUs and critical care units, and at mobile COVID-19 diagnostic, testing and vaccination sites. NPs were able to step up and help save New York because of the 2015 Nurse Practitioner Modernization Act. Legislators must now pass legislation to ensure this measure becomes permanent,” said Toni Denicola, FNP.
In New York State, there are 32,750 practicing, licensed NPs. According to the National Association of Nurse Practitioners, research finds that patients under the care of NPs have higher satisfaction ratings and fewer unnecessary hospital readmissions, preventable hospitalizations, and unnecessary emergency room visits than patients under the care of physicians.
###
The New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) represents more than 42,000 members in New York State. We are New York’s largest union and professional association for registered nurses. For more information, visit nysna.org.
