Wisconsin Senate Bill 145 – the “APRN bill” - has again passed both houses of the legislature. Far beyond licensure, this bill expands scope of practice and eliminates current law physician collaboration requirements for nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and clinical nurse specialists.

Last legislative session, Governor Tony Evers vetoed this legislation. Despite his previous veto, the bill was not improved significantly and still lacks provisions and guardrails that WACEP and other physician groups consider vital. So again, our last hope to protect patient safety in Wisconsin is another veto by Governor Evers.

Far beyond creating an APRN license, this bill takes physicians out of patient care and jeopardizes patient safety. From independent practice without any physician involvement to prescribing privileges that are regulated solely by the state’s Board of Nursing, this bill disrupts the cooperative and collaborative team-based model of health care that makes Wisconsin a leader in patient care. WACEP believes that emergency care is best led by an emergency physician and that the best solutions to increase access to care in rural areas does not include complete advanced practice nurse independence. Passage of this bill will translate into nurse practitioners working independently in your local urgent care or an emergency department with no physician involvement or backup.

Urge Governor Evers to veto this ill-advised legislation.

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