Earlier this month, a group of state lawmakers led by Sen. Patrick Testin (R-Stevens Point) and Rep. Gae Magnafici  (R-Dresser), announced plans to reintroduce the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) bill. The proposal, which is opposed by the WAO, the Wisconsin Medical Society, and other physician specialty groups, is similar to legislation vetoed by Gov. Tony Evers last session that would have authorized broad independent nursing practices in Wisconsin.

More specifically, the legislation would authorize APRNs to prescribe medication and generally practice an expanded scope of care without direct physician supervision. The bill in its current form largely ignores months of negotiations between stakeholders to find a workable agreement and does not include any of the "compromise" language Gov. Evers proposed in his 2023-25 Biennial Budget bill. The legislation lacks common sense patient safety protections, including:

• Physician title protection that would prevent the use of specific words and terms in titles, advertising, and descriptions of services by medical professionals who are not physicians;

• An appropriate level of education and clinical experience required of APRNs prior to independent practice; and

• Requiring proper physician oversight of nurses who are providing pain management services.

In addition to the APRN bill,  Sen. Rachel Cabral-Guevara, who supports the ARPR proposal, has unveiled a separate physician title protection bill. The legislation would restrict individuals, except licensed physicians, from using certain words, terms, letters, or abbreviations that represent a person as a physician – and specifically applies those restrictions to a person's title, advertising, or description of services.

While the title protection bill – better known as truth in advertising legislation – is important and supported by the physician community, it is concerning that it was not included in the APRP bill as part of a greater compromise. The fear is that the Legislature could pass the APRN bill first and ultimately fail to approve the title protection bill.   

To best protect our members from potential political gamesmanship that could hang the physician community out to dry, the WAO is working closely with the Wisconsin Medical Society and other physician groups to oppose the APRN bill its current form and continue to work with lawmakers and other stakeholders on a workable compromise that includes robust physician title protection and other critical patient safety provisions.