After several years of failed attempts, I was finally able to get the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) Modernization Act across the finish line this legislative session.

It took a lot of hard work and compromise, but I am pleased that qualified nurses can now operate at the highest scope of their practice, which is leading to increased healthcare access in rural areas and lower medical costs.

Under 2025 Wisconsin Act 17, APRNs are authorized to treat patients independently and without a collaborative agreement with a physician – so long as the cases do not fall outside their areas of expertise.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, close to 40 percent of Wisconsin’s need for primary care providers is currently unmet. In 10 years, the state will likely require more than 740 additional primary care professionals to fulfill the growing demand for care. However, by 2035, Wisconsin’s supply of primary care physicians is expected to grow by just 4 percent.

We are all fully cognizant of the workforce challenges we face in our state when it comes to the healthcare industry. APRNs are helping to close that gap by stepping up and providing quality care to everyone in Wisconsin.

Approximately 30 states – both red and blue – have also enacted policies comparable to my APRN Modernization Act.

For next week’s “Testin’s Throwback Thursday,” I will talk about the new law I authored that reauthorizes the Wisconsin Enhanced Prescription Drug Monitoring Program.