Position Papers

Position papers are developed by the Coalition for Nurses in Advanced Practice. Some papers are also developed in cooperation with the Texas Nurses Association. These papers briefly describe the issues that CNAP thinks should be accomplished so that APNs can utilize more of their potential to improve health care in Texas.

These issues have been presented to the Ad Hoc Committee on Collaborative Practice. This committee consists of five APNs, five PAs and five physicians who report to the boards of their respective professional organizations. Representatives of the Texas Hospital and Pharmacy Association are also sometimes involved. The committee was organized after the 1995 Texas Legislative Session in order to develop a shared legislative and regulatory agenda that facilitates physician and APN/PA collaborative practices. 

In 2003, medical organizations based their support for allowing physicians to delegate prescriptive authority for controlled substances, Schedules III - V to signing an agreement with medicine. The agreement calls for a moratorium on any further initiatives to change the way in which physicians and APNs collaborate from January 2003 through the end of the 2007 Texas Legislative Session. Read details of the moratorium.

The agreement with medicine would allow APNs and medical organizations to consider developing an alternate model that would allow physicians to delegate prescriptive authority without being tied to a particular type of practice site. To date, however, medical organizations have not indicated they have any interest in discussing this issue.

Although it is unlikely that any progress will be made toward making the changes outlined in these position statements until after 2007, these papers reflect CNAP's current positions on changes that would benefit the delivery of health care in Texas. We encourage your feedback on these and other issues that affect APNs' practices in Texas.

Position Paper to be discussed in the Ad Hoc
Committee before the 2007 Session:

Physician-Based Model for Delegation of Prescriptive Authority to APNs

Other Position Paper:

Allowing Physicians and APNs to Form Business Relationships

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