Regulation of advanced nursing practice: one state's approach.

The concept of advanced nursing practice varies widely in interpretation and regulation. The economic, societal, and political forces affecting change in the U.S. health care delivery system have heightened the public's interest in alternative approaches to health care. Traditional acts of medicine increasingly overlap with those of other providers, such as nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, nurse anesthetists, and clinical nurse specialists. Crucial challenges face state Boards of Nursing as they balance their public protection responsibilities with their support of the evolution of nursing practice. This article provides information regarding the national approach to the regulation of advanced practice nursing, followed by an overview of one state's approach to this issue.