An act relating to the role of advanced practice registered nurses in hospital care

This bill (H 569) updates Vermont's hospital licensing and patient rights laws to explicitly allow advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) to serve as the primary coordinator of a hospital patient's care, alongside physicians. It amends the Patients' Bill of Rights (18 V.S.A. § 1852) to state patients have the right to "an attending physician or APRN" responsible for care coordination, and revises hospital licensing requirements (18 V.S.A. § 1905) to require patients be under care of "a licensed physician or an APRN." The changes directly affect hospitals (which must now permit APRNs to coordinate care), patients (who gain the right to choose APRNs as primary care coordinators), and APRNs (who gain expanded scope under hospital licensing). The bill does not alter APRN practice standards but clarifies their role in hospital settings.