Nurse Practitioners to Treat Vets Without Doctor Supervision

The Veterans Affairs Department beginning next month will allow certain nurse practitioners to treat veterans without the supervision of doctors across the agency for the first time.

The move is designed in part to shorten wait times for patients who are seeking treatment in underserved areas with physician shortages, according to a rule published Wednesday in the Federal Register.

The regulatory change permits three types of nurse practitioners -- certified nurse practitioner (CNP), clinical nurse specialist (CNS), and certified nurse-midwife (CNM) -- "to practice to the full extent of their education, training and certification, without the clinical supervision or mandatory collaboration of physicians," it states.

While 21 states and the District of Columbia already grant nurse practitioners so-called "full practice authority," the rule marks the first time the VA established a nationwide framework for such specialists to provide direct care to vets throughout its system.

More