Pennsylvania Coalition of Nurse Practitioners

09/26/2025

A new study from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health found that access to obstetric care has declined nationwide.

In 4 states – including Pennsylvania – more than 40% of rural hospitals lost obstetrics services.

But while the number of OB/GYN physicians is declining, the numbers of NPs and Women’s Health NPs continue to grow.

Passing full practice authority and fully utilizing PA's highly-qualified NP workforce would help to fill these gaps in care.

Despite policy efforts to preserve services, a new study found that structure inequities in health care access have led to a nationwide decline in rural obstetric services since 2018.

09/18/2025

Across the nation, nurse practitioners and healthcare advocates are calling requirements for collaborative agreements outdated, costly, and in some cases predatory.

For NPs, this can mean an inability to open their own independent practice and expand care into their local communities.

For patients, the downstream effects include increased healthcare costs, reduced availability of NP-led clinics, and longer wait times.

Nurse practitioners face costly CPA laws requiring physician contracts. Lawsuits nationwide highlight calls for reform, NP independence, and better access to care.

09/11/2025

South Carolina is another state where lawmakers are considering passing full practice authority for NPs, which would help to address the state’s looming shortage of medical providers.

“We want to increase access to health care and allow medical professionals to practice to their full scope of competency, but at the same time make sure we maximize medical outcomes,” said South Carolina Senator Tom Davis.

Read more in the article below!

In a committee meeting Wednesday, lawmakers discussed expanding nurse practitioners' roles to combat a doctor shortage.

08/29/2025

Choose a workshop to add to your Annual Conference registration! There's a variety of workshops and hands-on learning experiences available for every interest.

These in-depth sessions will take place on Thursday, Nov. 13th to kickstart your 2025 Annual Conference experience with new knowledge and skills!

Add a workshop to your conference registration, and view the full list of workshops here: pacnp.org/page/2025_Annual_Conference

08/25/2025

As an owner of two direct primary care practices in rural areas, PCNP member Lorraine Bock understands how NPs are uniquely positioned to meet patients' healthcare needs.

“NPs are innovators. We’re trained to look at the whole person, the whole environment, everything that impacts the patient and not just the disease process. So when it comes to delivering care, we go where the patients are," Lorraine told Medscape Medical News.

Read the full article featuring Lorraine at the link below!

Are practice restrictions on nurse practitioners shortsighted?

08/23/2025

NPs and RNs form the largest segment of the U.S. health care workforce. Their roles are critical — not just in hospitals, but in the very settings where health is created and maintained: homes, neighborhoods and communities.

Research consistently shows that nurse-led care is safe, effective and cost-efficient. NPs manage chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension with outcomes that match or surpass physician-led care, particularly in underserved communities.

If we’re serious about transforming our health care system, we must enable nurses to lead the way.

08/22/2025

🚨 PCNP's newest FREE webinar is happening TODAY at 1pm! 🚨

Join family NP Megan Benton, DNP, FNP-C to hear tips about physical, mental, and spiritual wellness, and how to incorporate tactics in your everyday life to prevent provider burnout.

The webinar takes place today, 8/22 at 1pm, and is free for members and non-members to attend!

Register here ➡️ pacnp.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1984330

08/19/2025

A new study analyzes how rising physician shortages and state laws restricting NP practice have contributed to suboptimal healthcare access for patients.

The study recommends full practice authority for non-physician practitioners to mitigate shortages and improve patient outcomes across the U.S. health care system.

Full practice authority improves healthcare access and outcomes, and it's time for Pennsylvania to join the majority of U.S. states that already grant NPs full practice authority!

Executive Summary Rising physician shortages in the United States, in tandem with restrictive state-level scope-of-practice (SOP) laws that often unnecessarily restrict the practice authority of non-physician practitioners (NPPs), have contributed to an inefficient health care workforce and suboptim...

08/15/2025

Mandating that a physician be on-site could drive some rural hospitals to close because they can’t afford or recruit enough — or any — doctors.

Emergency medicine researchers believe ERs, especially in rural areas, increasingly operate with few or no physicians amid a nationwide shortage of doctors.

Instead, advanced practice providers are filling in the gaps. NPs increasingly help patients in rural areas receive equal access to the high-quality care they deserve.

Some doctors and the groups that represent them say physicians’ extensive training leads to better emergency care, and that some hospitals are trying to save money by not hiring them. They support new laws in Indiana, Virginia, and South Carolina that require physicians to be on-site 24/7.

08/11/2025

At the PCNP 2025 Annual Educational Conference, we’re not just learning — we’re leading!

This year’s theme, "Delivering More Than Care: Nurse Practitioners Driving Outcomes and Innovation" celebrates the power of NP-led advocacy, education, and transformation.

Register for PCNP's 2025 Annual Conference today!
pacnp.org/page/2025_Annual_Conference

08/06/2025

New research from the Milbank Memorial Fund confirms a long-standing assumption: NPs are key to improving access to primary care in the most disadvantaged communities.

Despite this evidence, there are still practice barriers that restrict NP care. Required supervision of NPs does not improve quality of care or population health, and state policymakers should advance policies allowing NPs to best meet the needs of underserved communities.

The number of nurse practitioners (NPs) in the United States quadrupled from 91,000 in 2007 to 431,000 in 2024. But does this remarkable growth result in improved access to primary care where it is needed most?

08/04/2025

A new study shows full practice authority is associated with fewer hospital discharges for conditions that could be treated in outpatient settings.

The study discovered that full practice authority enables better triage of patients and more efficient use of inpatient resources, as well as reducing hospitalizations for conditions that can be treated in the community. This is because with full practice authority, healthier patients require less hospitalizations.

Read more about the study here: