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Roots of the Idaho Nurse Practitioners' Organization
Leola Daniels, M.S., R.N. wrote in her 1987 Board of Nursing report that Idaho was the first state in the United States to give legal recognition to an expanded role for nurses through an amendment to the Nurse Practice Act in 1971. (On February 11, 1971, Governor Cecil Andrus signed HB 46 and HB 207 into law) Rules and regulations to implement the provisions in the amended law were adopted in1972. These rules and regulations required educational preparation and practice policies developed by an administrative committee which included the nurse practitioner and an associate physician.
A major revision of the Nurse Practice Act in 1977 included a definition of "Nurse Practitioner". A revision of the rules and regulations in 1977 defined the responsibilities of the administrative committee and the requirements for prescription writing and certification.
Another revision of the rules and regulations in 1980 more clearly defined the requirements for education and approval to practice, the scope of practice including prescription writing, and the grounds for disciplinary action.
A further revision of the rules and regulations in 1986 added an additional category of medication for prescription writing, extended the exemption from an emergency period for the delivery of medications to agencies/clinics in remote sites without pharmacies, decreased the number of continuing education hours required for renewal of approval and authorized documentation of current certification by a national organization to be submitted for renewal of approval in lieu of continuing education hours.
In June, 1973, a Family Nurse Practitioner Training Program was offered in Idaho under the sponsorship of the Area Health Education Consortium of Treasure Valley, Incorporated (A.H.E.C.). The Nursing Department at Boise State University offered a Family Nurse Practitioner option in their upper division baccalaureate degree program for registered nurses from 1975 to 1979 founded in part by the Kellogg Foundation. No further nurse practitioner programs have been offered in Idaho since 1979.
A study of the projected employment, characteristics and utilization of nurse practitioners' in Idaho' was prepared for the Idaho Board of Nursing in January and April of 1975 by Carl Ashizawa, analyst for Health Systems, Incorporated, and by Eileen Merrill, Associate Director, Idaho Board of Nursing. Continued requests for information and data concerning nurse practitioners prompted the Idaho Board of Nursing to conduct an updated study in the fall of 1980. Another updated study was conducted by the Board of Nursing in December, 1986 to January, 1987."
Where were the Idaho Nurse Practitioners during the time period of 1971 to 1987 in relationship to a collective voice for these regulatory changes? As nurse practitioners arrived in Idaho or returned to Idaho from their educational programs to join with Idaho's first trained nurse practitioners of Council and Cambridge, Jane Curtis and Kay Ortman, informal and formal meetings were held with the Board of Nursing or with fellow nurse practitioners. By 1977 a much more organized approach was sought.
The Idaho Nurses Association's Council on Practice became the vehicle for organizing Idaho Nurse Practitioners. The Idaho Nurse Practitioner Conference was formed. By 1981, 100 nurse practitioners were listed by the Idaho Nurse Practitioner Conference Group as being in Idaho. The NPCG became the work horse working with the Board of Nursing to accomplish the necessary changes to the Idaho Nurse Practitioner Act, many times with heated opposition and tremendous encouragement.
Throughout the 1980's and 1990's the Nurse Practitioner Conference Group of Idaho continued to grow and become successful politically. In 1990, the Idaho Nurses Association Advanced Nursing Practice Council approved a definition for advanced nursing practice. By November 1997, NPCG had more than $15,000 in checking and rumbles were getting louder to separate from the Idaho Nurses Association in order to meet specific needs of the organization particularly those nurse practitioners who were not members of the Idaho Nurses Association.
On March 5, 1998, a draft of the new independent Nurse Practitioner Conference Group was presented. The Nurse Practitioners Conference Group initially rented space from the Idaho Nurses Association until concerns about reducing costs ended the relationship that NPCG had with the Idaho Nurses Association.
In July 2000, the NPCG changed its name to Nurse Practitioners of Idaho. On March 23rd, 2004, Governor Dirk Kempthorne signed HB 659 into law eliminating the requirement for physician supervision of the advanced practice nurse thirty two years after the first licensing law for nurse practitioners in Idaho.
Information collected and provided by Verlene Kaiser.