The mission of OAAPN is to ensure that Ohioans have access to the cost-effective, high-quality care provided by Advanced Practice Nurses, and one of the ways we do this is by promoting the practice of Advanced Practice Nursing and participating in the monitoring and implementation of legislation that impacts the profession.
Founded in 1996, OAAPN is the largest and only full-service statewide professional membership organization for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses of all specialties within Ohio. OAAPN represents the interests of more than 12,800 APRNs currently practicing in Ohio and continually advocates at local, state, and federal levels for the recognition of APRNs as providers of high-quality, cost-effective, accessible healthcare for all Ohioans.
OAAPN’s history dates back to the 1980s until officially organizing in 1996 and have provided Ohio’s APRNs with a unified community to network and advocate for APRN issues while succeeding on many fronts through the years.
Among those accomplishments include:
- 1997 – Title Protection
- 2000 – Obtained prescriptive authority for APRNs in Ohio
- 2008 – Obtained ability to prescribe Schedule II narcotics in Ohio
- 2017 – APRN Modernization Act
- 2018 – Psychiatric certified APRNs have authority to compel mental health exams
- 2018 – Introduction of H.B. 726, “Better Access, Better Care” Act
- 2019 – Introduction of H.B. 177, “Better Access, Better Care” Act
- 2021 – Introduction of H.B. 221, the new “Better Access, Better Care” Act
In addition to these major accomplishments, OAAPN has also lent support to the following legislative efforts.
OAAPN lent our support to these successful legislative efforts in 2020:
- SB 303 which allows clinical nurse specialists, certified nurse-midwives, certified nurse practitioners, and physician assistants to enter into consult agreements with pharmacists for the purposes of chronic disease management.
- HB 606 which ensures civil immunity to individuals, schools, health care providers, businesses, and other entities from lawsuits arising from exposure, transmission, or contraction of COVID-19, or any mutation of the virus, as long as they were not showing reckless, intentional, or willful misconduct.
- SB 310, effective from December 29, 2020 until May 1, 2021, provides flexibility regarding the regulatorily mandated supervision and collaboration agreements for certified nurse-midwives, clinical nurse specialists and certified nurse practitioners working in a hospital or other health care facility.
OAAPN continues to provide support to these legislative efforts which have been introduced to the 134 General Assembly in 2021:
- HB 138 – regarding the scope of emergency medical services which includes language which does not prohibit a first responder from complying with a do-not-resuscitate order issued by a physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse pursuant to section 2133.211 of the Revised Code.
OAAPN continually strives to remove barriers to APRN practice and has become a leading information resource within Ohio regarding APRN practice, legislative and reimbursement issues as well as providing a gateway of opportunities to employment and continuing education. We look forward to more accomplishments ahead.