WVNA ACTION ALERT - Please send emails NOW (ASAP!!

Posted 4 days ago

West Virginia Nurses: We Need Your Voice

West Virginia nurses, the final days of the legislative session are here, and your voice is needed.

The West Virginia Nurses Association (WVNA) is asking nurses across the state to contact their Delegates and ask them to amend and combine SB 956 (the Physician Assistant bill) with HB 5681 (the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse bill).

Yesterday, SB 956 passed the West Virginia Senate unanimously (34-0). The bill removes the requirement that physician assistants practice under physician supervision or a collaborative agreement.

WVNA is requesting that similar modernization be extended to APRNs by incorporating the language of HB 5681 into SB 956 and removing the collaborative agreement requirement for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses.

This is a long-standing workforce issue. In previous legislative sessions, the APRN bill has passed the House of Delegates, demonstrating consistent legislative support for addressing this barrier to care.

Removing the collaborative agreement requirement will help:

Expand access to primary care, women's health, prenatal care, behavioral health, and chronic disease management
• Improve access to care in rural and underserved communities
• Reduce delays in treatment for patients
• Support small and rural clinics across West Virginia

Research supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and national health policy organizations consistently shows that care provided by Advanced Practice Registered Nurses is safe, effective, and comparable in quality to physician-provided care, with high levels of patient satisfaction and strong outcomes (Martin, Buck, & Zhong, Journal of Nursing Regulation, 2023).

Across the country, 27 states, the Veterans Administration, and U.S. military health systems already allow APRNs to practice to the full extent of their education and training.

This reform does not increase state spending and does not reduce accountability. It simply removes an outdated administrative barrier so West Virginians can receive timely care.

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What WV Nurses Can Do

Please contact your Delegate and share this message with other Delegates.

WV House of Delegates – click HERE.

Find Your Delegate – click HERE.

Legislators need to hear directly from nurses who care for patients every day.

Your personal experiences as a nurse are powerful. If possible, add a brief note about:

challenges patients face accessing care
delays caused by administrative barriers
rural healthcare shortages
your experience caring for West Virginia families

Your voice matters.

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Message Nurses Can Copy and Send (to your Delegate and any Delegate you know)

Hello Delegate ___,

I am a nurse in West Virginia, and I am asking for your support to combine SB 956 (the Physician Assistant bill) with HB 5681 (the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse bill).

SB 956 passed the Senate unanimously (34-0) and in previous legislative sessions the APRN bill has passed the House of Delegates.

Removing the collaborative agreement requirement will allow APRNs to practice to the full extent of their education and training and help expand access to care across West Virginia, especially in rural communities.

As a nurse caring for patients in our state, I see firsthand the need to improve access to care.

Please support combining SB 956 and HB 5681 before the legislative session concludes.

Thank you for your service to West Virginia.

_________(Sign your name and town)