Summary: SB 31 proposes changes to how several professional licensures are reviewed and regulated in Utah.
Relevance: APRNs (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists and Nurse Practitioners) are among those who will be affected by the proposed changes.
For APRNs, the bill lays out:
A requirement for a minimum number of hours of experience as a registered nurse prior to nurse practitioner licensure (6000 hours)
Implies consent to an immediate mental or physical examination when directed by the majority of the board of nursing upon finding reasonable cause
An increase in prescriptive authority for CRNAs
Regardless of differing viewpoints, we encourage all members to review this bill carefully and to communicate with their elected representatives as they see fit. The proposed provisions have direct implications for our practice, and informed awareness and engagement by our membership are important.
We encourage all to get in touch with your legislators using this tool:
le.utah.gov/default.asp?ct=legislators
Arguments Supporting the Bill
Arguments Against the Bill
Does not explicitly reduce Utah’s full practice authority
Under the Nurse Practice Act, NPs can still practice independently without physician supervision or collaboration
Strengthens public perceptionof NP training by addressingconcerns about clinical readiness
Standardizes clinical hours prior to program entry, similar to physician assistants
May make NPautonomy more defensible politically
Maintains independence while adding experience requirements
CRNAs get clearer prescriptive authority
Increases barriers for NP program entry during a time of population growth but stagnating physician and physician assistant numbers
May set a precedence for adding future limitations to Utah’s full practice authority
Implies consent for physical and mental health examination not seen in the Medical Practice Act or Physician Assistants Practice Act
No studies correlate a minimum number of RN hours with NP competency; passing board certification demonstrates competency
Some feel the bill misses the core problem with its experience requirements:
It does not standardize NP clinical hours, as it focuses on RN experience
It does not regulate NP program variability. Concerns for online programs are present, but most online programs are based outside of Utah.
