An advanced registered nurse practitioner (ARNP) assumes primary responsibility and accountability for the care of patients and is authorized to perform all activities registered nurses perform, perform specialized and advanced levels of nursing, and prescribe legend drugs and certain controlled substances.  An ARNP's scope of practice is defined by the Washington State Board of Nursing and includes:

• examining and diagnosing patients;
• admitting, managing, and discharging patients to and from health care facilities;
• ordering, collecting, performing, and interpreting diagnostic tests;
• managing health care by identifying, developing, implementing, and evaluating a plan of care and treatment for patients;
• prescribing therapies and medical equipment;
• prescribing medications when granted prescriptive authority;
• referring patients to other health care practitioners, services, or facilities; and
• performing procedures or providing care services within the scope of practice according to the designation and certification of the ARNP.

The title for "advanced registered nurse practitioner" is changed to "advanced practice registered nurse."

PRO: This bill represents a simple technical change to the nursing chapter and aligns the usage with the majority of other states. The change in title is overdue and many of the licensees have an out-of-state address. This will assist the public in understanding clearly who is taking care of them and it would mitigate concerns regarding federal licensing which has created challenges with the portability of the license for states creating licenses with similar yet different titles. The bill's effective date allows for a 3-year period to provide education to the public, employers, insurers, and nursing programs.