The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is proposing a rule to grant full practice authority to Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN) when they are acting within the scope of their VA employment. Full practice authority will permit APRNs to assess, diagnose, prescribe medications and interpret diagnostic tests. APRNs are clinicians with advanced degrees and training. APRN's include Certified Nurse Practitioners, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists and Certified Nurse Midwifes. All VA APRNs are required to obtain and maintain current national certification. The proposed rule can be found for comment at www.regulations.gov.
For more on veteran benefits, visit the Military.com Benefits Center.
