Governor Baker Issues Executive Order Granting Temporary Independent Prescriptive Practice

During a news conference this morning, Governor Charles Baker and Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders announced an Executive Order that will temporarily suspend the requirements for physician supervision and written guidelines for prescriptive practice for APRNs who have at least 2 years of supervised practice experience. This applies to certified NPs, CRNAs and Pscyh Clinical Nurse Specialists. 

APRNs with less than 2 years of supervised practice must still have supervised prescriptive practice but may collaborate under relaxed requirements with a different supervising physician as needed during the state of emergency.

Although the language of this order is different than the Nursing Workforce Bill proposed by the Senate and opposed by the House earlier this week, it achieves the same goal by allowing us as a profession to respond more effectively the COVID-19 crisis.

MCNP thanks Governor Baker and his administration for their support and commitment to ensuring that Nurse Practitioners are being fully utilized in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

And to the dedicated Nurse Practitioners we represent, THANK YOU for all that you are doing for our patients and communities during this challenging time.