Pennsylvania Coalition of Nurse Practitioners

03/03/2026

During the Senate’s Budget Hearing with DHS, Senator Tracy Pennycuick sounded the alarm on hospital closures and growing healthcare deserts in Pennsylvania.

We thank Senator Pennycuick for understanding the importance of Pennsylvanians having access to high-quality health care, for recognizing how NPs can help to mitigate Pennsylvania’s healthcare access crisis, and for raising the visibility of this issue during the recent Senate Budget Hearing.

Now it’s up for the full legislature to act and pass Senate Bill 25, which will help to close healthcare gaps and expand healthcare access to all Pennsylvanians!

02/17/2026

🎓 Register today for PCNP's 2026 Student Symposium! 🎓

If you're ready to take the next step toward NP practice, join us March 21, 2026 for a virtual symposium created just for NP students!

Connect with fellow students, faculty, and NP leaders from across PA as we bridge the gap between the classroom and real-world practice. Expect engaging sessions and honest conversations to support your transition from student to provider!

Register here: pacnp.org/2026studentsymposium

02/16/2026

The recent shutdown of rural Warren General Hospital's labor and delivery unit has expanded the number of northwestern Pennsylvania's maternity care deserts to 8 counties.

As healthcare shortages worsen, NPs are a critical part of the solution. Primary care and WHNPs can help to fill these rural health gaps and keep services close to home.

Granting NPs full practice authority is a proven way to expand access to high-quality care and keep vital healthcare services close to home.

Hundreds of rural hospitals have closed in the US in the last decade, with Pennsylvania losing six in the last five years.

02/09/2026

Physician shortages are putting rural hospital services at risk in Pennsylvania. Rural hospitals are facing such severe doctor shortages that they’re being forced to cut essential services like emergency care and maternity support.

Granting NPs full practice authority would help to expand access to care in these regions by allowing qualified NPs to practice where doctors are in critically short supply, keeping vital prenatal and primary care services close to home in our rural communities.

Rural hospitals across the region are facing critical doctor shortages, forcing cuts to essential services. State leaders and health experts say long-term solutions are underway, but immediate staffing challenges remain.

01/29/2026

🎓 Registration is OPEN for PCNP's 2026 Student Symposium!

Ready to take the next step toward NP practice? Join us March 21, 2026 for a virtual symposium created just for NP students.

Connect with fellow students, faculty, and NP leaders from across PA as we bridge the gap between the classroom and real-world practice. Expect engaging sessions, practical insights, and honest conversations to support your transition from student to provider.

✨ Register here: pacnp.org/2026studentsymposium

01/26/2026

Last year, Governor Shapiro stood before the Pennsylvania General Assembly for his 2025 budget address and called for full practice authority to address the growing healthcare needs of Pennsylvanians.

Take action today and thank Governor Shapiro for his leadership, urging his continued support of full practice authority for nurse practitioners!

Click here to send your message: bit.ly/FPAGovShapiro

01/21/2026

For the 3rd year in a row, nurse practitioners rank as the best overall job nationwide!

The NP profession was also ranked the No. 1 STEM job and healthcare job in 2026.

This shows the critical role nurse practitioners play in the nation's economy and healthcare landscape, as well as the high levels of patient trust and demand for the high-quality care NPs provide.

/PRNewswire/ -- The American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP) proudly announces that the nurse practitioner (NP) profession has once again been...

01/08/2026

Research shows that NPs are more likely to practice in primary care HPSAs in states that don't require collaborative practice agreements.

But Pennsylvania is one of just 12 states that still requires NPs to maintain collaborative agreements with physicians in order to practice and see patients.

Patients need NPs and nurses, not administrative restrictions that block access to care.

Collaborative practice agreements don’t protect patients. By giving physicians control over whether NPs can practice, these agreements only serve to drive up costs, limit competition, and worsen North Carolina’s health care shortage.

01/06/2026

Nurses and patient advocates are pushing back against the new student loan caps scheduled to take effect in July.

The effects of these new limits will reach nurses, patients, and whole communities, while also limiting the education pipeline of new nurses.

Patients in Pennsylvania and nationwide need greater access to nurses and NPs now more than ever, while physician and healthcare worker shortages are already limiting access to care across the U.S.

Revised definition of 'professional' would affect all RNs

01/02/2026

Happy New Year from PCNP!

We recognize the hard work, dedication, and compassion that NPs bring to patient care and advocacy each and every day – all throughout 2025 and into the new year.

We wish our PCNP members, their families, and NPs everywhere have a very happy and healthy 2026!

12/18/2025

Nursing is consistently ranked the most trusted profession. But under H.R. 1, nursing will no longer be considered a “professional degree."

Removing nursing from the professional degree designation removes access to higher federal loan limits, preventing qualified nurses from pursuing additional educational opportunities that expand access to care.

Urge members of Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation to reverse this declassification here: bit.ly/ClassifyNursing

12/15/2025

Save the date and register early for PCNP's Lobby Day, happening June 1, 2026 in Harrisburg!

Lobby Day is a unique opportunity to connect directly with state legislators, share your experiences, and help shape the future of health policy in PA.

Whether you are new to advocacy or a seasoned advocate, your voice and participation makes a difference. Participants will receive advocacy preparation and resources.

Early registration is encouraged! ➡️ pacnp.org/2026LobbyDay