Tennessee Voices, Episode 266: Julie Hamm, president, Tennessee Nurses Association
Nurses have been among the most visible essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
But the virus and the delta and omicron surges that sickened and killed tens of thousands in Tennessee left many of these health professionals burned out.
Nevertheless, their work continues to be essential even as the COVID appears to be waning for the moment.
On this episode of the Tennessee Voices podcast, Julie Hamm, the new president of the Tennessee Nurses Association, spoke about the role of nurses and why advanced practice registered nurses should be given full authority to practice their profession.
Presently, they are required to work under collaborative agreements with physicians.
The association, which represents 100,000 nurses, wants Tennessee to change the law.
A few big reasons:
The shortage of primary care physicians in the state, which is predominantly rural
The closing of a dozen hospitals in Tennessee rural areas over the last decade
The need to attract more candidates to the nursing profession
Legislation to provide full authority to nurses — Senate Bill 176/House Bill 184 — is making its way through the Tennessee General Assembly.
Hamm wrote in a recent guest essay on why the association wants to update the Nurse Practice Act: "Tennessee’s nurses have cared for the people of this state under great opposition from a novel virus, a fragile health care system and an antiquated set of laws."
Op-Ed by Julie Hamm: COVID-19 pandemic highlights need to give full practice authority to some nurses
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About Tennessee Voices
The Tennessee Voices videocast is a 20-minute program, which started in March 2020 and invites leaders, thinkers and innovators who have written guest columns for a USA TODAY Network Tennessee publication to share their insights and wisdom with me and our viewers.
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David Plazas is the director of opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY Network Tennessee and an editorial board member of The Tennessean. Tweet to him at @davidplazas.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Voices: Providing nurses 'full authority' with Julie Hamm
