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Arkansas NP Regulations Changes Cause Confusion

Posted on: February 1, 2010
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The Arkansas State Board of Nursing has made suggested revisions to its rules for advanced practice nursing. These changes were suggested so that regulation of NPs would align with the consensus model developed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. Changes include requiring a graduate nursing degree for practice as well as other licensure changes. All proposed changes can be viewed here.

"The suggested revisions should not impact APNs who are currently practicing in Arkansas in negative way, nor will the suggestions increase or change the scope of practice of APNs in Arkansas," said Marilou Shreve-Doffin, NP, chairwoman of the Arkansas Nurses Association Advanced Practice Nurse Council. A public hearing on the proposed changes was led by the BON on Jan. 14.
No modifications to prescriptive protocol rules were included in the proposed changes; however, some NPs were not aware that protocols were required for practice.

"The Arkansas State Board of Nursing has always required prescriptive protocols," explained Marilou Shreve-Doffin, NP, chairwoman of the NP Council of the Arkansas Nurses Association. Arkansas nurse practitioners have always been required to have a collaborative practice agreement, prescriptive protocols and quality assurance measures in place.

"It has caused quite an uproar here in Arkansas; I guess many APNs were not aware that prescriptive protocols were required and do not have them," Shreve-Doffin said.

Darlene Byrd, NP, president of the board, pointed out that the ASBN recently added a template to its Web site that NPs can use to help them develop their prescriptive protocols. This addition may have alerted NPs to the requirement.
"It is the nurse practitioner's responsibility to know their scope of practice and rules and regulations," noted Julie Thibodaux, NP, a member of the practice committee for the Arkansas Board of Nursing. "There will always be those who need 'reminders.'"

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