Dear colleagues on the Boards of Nursing and Medicine,

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on Bill 793.  It is gratifying to see that Virginia is finally recognizing that the evidence shows nurse practitioners are educated and highly qualified to provide healthcare to the citizens of Virginia. I would request that you make attestation for the independent practice a simple process that can be completed by the NP.  As many of the comments note requiring physician attestation may be a burden for many NPs and violates the spirit of the bill for access to healthcare for many Virginians. This is our opportunity to show the collegueality between all members of the healthcare team.

Sincerely,

Sharon Zook, DNP, FNP-BC, Professor JMU