Lifting restrictions on APRNs will increase access to quality health care in Kentucky.
Currently, access to quality health care in Kentucky is severely limited. With a lack of qualified medical personnel throughout the state, hospitals and care centers are often unable to provide care for patients across the state. However, there is a solution. Allowing Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) full practice authority could drastically improve the state of health care in Kentucky. Yet, outdated state laws prevent APRNs from practicing to the full extent of their education and training. We need your help to permanently lift these restrictions so that Kentucky APRNs can continue to provide vital care and expand access to that care, to our rural and underserved communities.
With some of the lowest ranked health care in the nation, it’s time for action. Please support APRNs by urging Kentucky lawmakers to vote YES on the APRN legislation.
Kentucky Health Care Facts
- 113 of 120 counties are designated primary care Health Care Professional Shortage Areas
- HRSA (Health Resources and Services Administration) data demonstrates that APRNs practice in more rural areas than physician counterparts
- Ranked 46th in the nation for overall quality of health care
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Testimonials from Across the Country
Working together to meet Kentucky’s growing demand for health care.
Throughout Kentucky, APRNs play a critical role…from providing primary care services to delivering babies and expertly managing life-saving respiratory devices. Yet, even as half of the states have removed unnecessary restrictions on APRNs, Kentucky APRNs are not allowed to prescribe needed treatments for their patients without entering an unnecessary and costly collaborative agreement with a physician.
In 2020, the Kentucky state legislature and governor’s office both took action to temporarily lift unnecessary regulatory barriers for APRNs caring for patients. This not only increased access to care for seriously ill patients, it also empowered health care facilities to recruit high-quality practitioners to our state to help alleviate the provider shortage. The time has come for state lawmakers to permanently remove these restrictions on APRNs. The health of the people of Kentucky is at stake.
What is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse?
A vital part of the health care system, APRNs are educated with a master’s degree or higher, and have hundreds of hours of hands-on clinical experience. APRNs can provide care in all types of practice settings including health care facilities, outpatient clinics, specialty practices, employee health programs, and in rural and urban areas with limited access to care. Research has repeatedly demonstrated that APRNs provide safe, high-quality care with equivalent outcomes to their physician counterparts.
Four roles, four ways to care for you:
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists – administer anesthesia and monitor patients post-anesthesia
Certified Nurse Midwives – specialize in childbirth and women’s reproductive health
Certified Nurse Practitioners – diagnose and treat primary or acute health conditions
Clinical Nurse Specialists – work in specialty settings and provide diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing patient management
How are APRNs being held back?
In nearly half of the U.S., all APRNs have full practice authority, meaning that they can provide care to the full extent of their education and training. In Kentucky, APRNs are required by law to enter into unnecessary contracts with physicians in order to perform these very same tasks, holding them back from addressing the growing health care needs in this state.
How can I help?
We need your voice to be heard in support of APRNs. Please contact your legislator, upload a testimonial or share our messages and video on social media. The sooner you get involved the sooner you can help make access to safe, quality health care a reality for everyone in Kentucky.
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