Marshall, Kristina
OSF Saint Francis Medical CenterSupportIndividual
Summary: An Advanced Practice nurse (APN) working in critical care in Illinois supports the proposed changes to allow Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants to prescribe respiratory services. The commenter argues that the proposal should be expanded further to include Clinical Nurse Specialists or a broader term for all four recognized advanced practitioners in the state.
I am an Advanced Practice nurse (APN) who practices in the state of Illinois. I am a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) and work in critical care services in a large teaching institution. I have prescriptive authority to prescribe meds. Our institution requires a collaborative agreement with a physician. My job requires me to do ventilator management and I very frequently need to prescribe ventilator settings, respiratory treatments, Non-invasive positive pressure ventilation and oxygen.
The current language states that all respiratory services must be prescribed by an MD. The proposed changes include Nurse Practitioners (NP) and Physician's assistants. The proposed changes should include Clinical Nurse Specialists or a broad term APN, which includes all four of the recognized advanced practitioners who practice in the state of Illinois.