The Council of Medical Specialty Societies (CMSS) announced its response to the Future of Nursing report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM). The IOM report was created to develop a set of national recommendations, including ones that address the delivery of nursing services in a shortage environment and the capacity of the nursing education system.
CMSS, which represents 34 societies with an aggregate membership of more than 650,000 U.S. physicians, would like to call critical attention to the scope of practice recommendations made by the IOM report.
The report touches only lightly on the existing dramatic shortage of registered nurses (RN). Instead, the report focuses on a proposal to expand the scope of practice for advanced practice nurses (APNs).
Critically, CMSS feels that the report lacks detail concerning the necessary clinical and educational standards which would undergird such an expansion, and does not give sufficient attention to the cost ramifications associated with its recommendations.
Unfortunately, the report fails to address existing data regarding the practice patterns of APNs. CMSS believes these flaws all have real implications for patient safety and quality of care.
“CMSS believes that non-physician clinicians are critical stakeholders in the health of our nation and that nurses are irreplaceable members of a high-performing, patient-centered healthcare team,” said Dr. Norman Kahn, CMSS Executive Vice President and CEO.
Source: CMSS