Bill > S0045

This bill expands the practice authority for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) in South Carolina by establishing a pathway to full practice authority. To qualify, an APRN must complete 2,000 clinical hours after initial licensure, maintain malpractice insurance, and receive approval from the Board of Nursing. With full practice authority, APRNs can independently perform a wide range of medical acts without a practice agreement, including ordering and interpreting diagnostic data, prescribing medications, diagnosing patients, and performing various medical and non-medical tasks. The bill defines full practice authority as the ability to perform medical acts such as prescribing treatments, managing population health, conducting research, and performing other professional nursing activities. APRNs with full practice authority gain significantly more autonomy in their medical practice, removing previous requirements for physician oversight and practice agreements. The legislation modifies existing nursing regulations to accommodate this expanded scope of practice, updating definitions, prescriptive authority, and professional standards for different categories of advanced practice nurses, including nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwives, and clinical nurse specialists. The changes aim to increase healthcare access and provider flexibility by removing traditional collaborative practice restrictions.

Health and Social Services

https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=45&session=126&summary=B