e-News from NOVA - July 14, 2006

AACN Issues Talking Points to Counter AMA Resolution 211
(Source: American Association of Colleges of Nursing June 22, 2006 Accessed: 7/10/06)
http://www.aacn.nche.edu/

On June 13, 2006, the American Medical Association (AMA) passed Resolution 211 titled Need to Expose and Counter Nurse Doctoral Programs Misrepresentation. AACN is concerned that this statement misrepresents the purpose and intent of Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs.

AACN states:

Nursing and medicine are distinct health disciplines that prepare clinicians to assume different roles and meet different practice expectations. DNP programs prepare nurses for the highest level of nursing practice. They do not prepare nurses to be physicians. Transitioning to the DNP will not alter the current scope of practice for advanced practice nurses (APNs) as outlined in each state's Nurse Practice Act.

The title of Doctor is common to many disciplines and is not the domain of any one group of health professionals. Many APNs currently hold doctoral degrees and are addressed as "Doctor", which is similar to how other expert practitioners in clincial areas are addressed, including clinical psychologists, dentists, and podiatrists. In all likelihood, APNs will retain their specialist titles after completing a doctoral program. For example, Nurse Practitioners will continue to be called Nurse Practitioners.

Some of the many factors which are emerging to build momentum for the move to the DNP include the rapid expansion of knowledge underlying practice; increased complexity of patient care; national concerns about the quality of care and patient safety; shortages of nursing personnel which demands a higher level of preparation for leaders who can design and assess care; shortages of doctorally prepared nursing faculty, and increasing educational expectations for the preparation of other health professionals.

AACN's complete talking points can be accessed at: http://www.aacn.nche.edu/

AMA Resolution 211 was sponsored by the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA). According to the ASA, they had grave concerns that patient safety could be jeopardized in the clinical setting by nurses and other non-physician practitioners identifying themselves as "doctors" when they have not earned a medical degree.

The resolution establishes:

"That it shall be the policy of our American Medical Association (AMA) that institutions offering advanced education in the healing arts and professions shall fully and accurately inform applicants and students of the educational programs and degrees offered by an institution and the limitations, if any, on the scope of practice under applicable state law for which the program prepares the student;"
"That our AMA work jointly with state attorneys general to identify and prosecute those individuals who misrepresent themselves as physicians to their patients and mislead program applicants as to their future scope of practice;"
"That our AMA pursue all other appropriate legislative, regulatory and legal actions through the Scope of Practice Partnership, as well as actions with hospital staff organizations, to counter misrepresentation by nurse doctoral programs and their students and graduates, particularly in clinical settings."

An additional friendly amendment established that there be required identification procedures in place in all clinical settings to ensure that health care workers without medical training do not identify themselves and are not perceived as true physicians.
(Source: American Society of Anesthesiologists Accessed 7/10/06: http://www.asahq.org/news/asanews070606.h tm)

Legislative Issues:
Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Approves Three Bills for Veterans June 22, 2006
(Source: Senate Committee Press Release June 23, 2006)

Three bills were approved June 22, 2006 by the U.S. Senate committee on Veterans' Affairs. All three measures now go to the floor of the Senate for further consideration. Key points of these pending legislative initiatives:

A provision to allow veterans to hire attorneys to represent them in claims before the Department of Veterans Affairs, another bill to increase pay for disabled veterans, and a bill which authorizes the construction of VA hospitals throughout the country.

Veterans with service connected disabilities will receive the same rate of increase in disability payments that those receiving Social Security benefits receive -- currently estimated between 2.2 and 2.6 percent. The legislation will also increase the compensation for the survivors of some disabled veterans.

It overturns a Civil War-era law which currently denies veterans the right to hire attorneys until well into the appeals process.

Veterans and survivors would be allowed to obtain accelerated benefits to assist them in finding jobs in four targeted sectors of the economy: transportation, construction, hospitality and energy. In the case of transportation, someone enrolled in a $4,000 truck driving training program can currently only obtain about $1,000 in benefits. With the change, the same veteran would be eligible or 60 percent, or $2,400, of the costs of the training.

Require VA to pay full costs for service-connected veterans residing in veterans' homes run by state governments, as well as provide medications for certain service-connected conditions in those state-run facilities. Under current law, the federal government only pays a portion of those costs.

Require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to designate beds in privately-run care centers as "state homes" for purposes of per diem payments.

Allow tribal nations to apply for grants to establish veterans cemeteries on Native American lands.

Allow veterans to use a VA loan to purchase stock or membership in a development, project, or structure of a cooperative housing corporation.

Eliminate term limits for the positions of Under Secretary for Health and Under Secretary for Benefits.

Improve efforts to prevent homelessness among veterans, especially among those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Authorize VA to begin a pilot program to provide caregiver assistance and non-institutional services.

Marine Corps to explore helmet redesign for improved blast protection
(Source: House Veterans' Affairs Press Release June 29, 2006)

Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Steve Buyer (R-IN) today commended a decision by the Commandant of the Marine Corps to study the issue of how best to protect the heads of all Marines and service members from traumatic brain injuries from blasts caused by improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The Marine Corps has indicated that as part of its study it will examine its current helmet and also explore future helmet systems.