Pros And Cons Of Nurse Practitioners

My name is Sherica Hemans. I am a Barry University Nursing Student. I am writing to urge your support against Senate Bill 676 .There is a shortage of primary care physician's across south Florida. However, there are thousands of Nurse Practitioners who I believe can fill this gap. Many Nurse Practitioners have been in school beyond the additional two years after becoming an RN. These people are trained personnel's and so they choose to work independently in most cases. Nurse practitioners see patient's independently. They are there to increase our patients’ access to care. On an average day, an NP sees fewer patients throughout the day. However these patients tend to have longer visits, this is usually to enhance education and care. Which means that better care will be produced. Being that most NP's are independent workers, if they have questions they would seek answers from the physicians. If Nurse Practitioners are not able to prescribe Narcotics on a usual basis why give them the opportunity to prescribe it when Medical Necessary? Isn't it always Medically Necessary? Isn't this the reason they are prescribing it in the first place?

Even though majority of the time they see these patients several times a week. However someone who sees the patient one time for the week is able to prescribe Narcotics. As a Nursing Student, I would like to believe that Nurse practitioners are not trying to take the roll or play the roll of a physician instead they are trying to be advocates for our patients. For someone who have journeyed threw school for many years I would like to believe that they are fully capable for prescribing narcotics and are able to sufficiently follow up with their