Nurse Practitioners Fight for the Right to Treat Patients

Nurse practitioners (NPs) in five states are fighting for the right to treat patients without oversight from doctors, as they can in many parts of the country. The battle is particularly fierce in California, where a bill that would let some nurse practitioners do their work independently passed a key legislative committee this week. California doctors strenuously oppose the idea, arguing that it could jeopardize patient safety, says the Wall Street Journal.

Other non-physician health professionals around the country also are lobbying to expand their roles, citing the shortage of doctors in some areas and the expected onslaught of millions of patients newly insured under the Affordable Care Act next year.

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