December 2016, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced VA Grants Full Practice Authority to Advance Practice Registered Nurses. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) were not included in this provision as one of the APRN roles that may be granted full practice authority at this time. 
David J. Shulkin, MD., is currently serving in the Obama administration as VA undersecretary, he will lead the Department of Veterans Affairs under the new administration. Shulkin was the primary voice inside the VA for excluding nurse anesthetists from the APRN practice authority regulations. Concerns going forward include whether this provision will be repealed/amended and how it will be implemented across practice areas throughout the VA facilities.
HealthCetera’s Barbara Glickstein asked Mary Chesney PhD, APRN, CNP, FAANP, FAAN, to weigh in on Shulkin’s appointment and potential impact on the future of APRNs and CRNAs full practice authority. Dr. Chesney is a Full Clinical Professor and Distinguished University Teaching Professor, University of Minnesota School of Nursing. She is past president of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) and chaired The Health Policy Committee.
Tune into HealthCetera Thursday, January 19 at 1 PM to 99.5 FM streamed live www.wbai.org or you can listen to the interview here
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Rana / January 23, 2017
I don’t get it. You were signing up for nursing school. You knew wholeheartedly that you want to practice nursing and will be under physician supervision. Now you just want to practice medicine without physician supervision!!! And don’t want to go through medical school and residency? You don’t want to take all rigorous USMLE Steps and board exams. AND you don’t want to be controlled by the medical board. .. It seems like a shortcut to me.
Above all that, tell me what innovation in “practicing medicine” does your nursing profession bring to the table? .. NONE Stop whining and make you school to be doctorate level in medicine NOT doctorate level in nursing. and get another PhD in basic science and do bench research and then bring an innovation to the table. Best of luck!
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