Growing state adds urgency to growing need for better health care access

I love North Carolina and I understand why our state is one of the most rapidly growing retirement places in the US. I am glad we are growing, but I must admit that I am also worried about our ability to keep up with the growth.

From the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services

I know with growth our need for health care resources—especially skilled practitioners to diagnose, treat, and provide care for people—will intensify. In nursing alone, we anticipate a shortage of nearly 12,000 registered nurses by 2030, and that is just one of several provider groups.

As a registered nurse, I get many calls from friends, family and neighbors about how to get the care they need. Sometimes they are looking for home care, that is assistance with the simple things we take for granted. For others it is more skilled care like changing bandages and giving medicines and still others are looking for clinicians, that is doctors, nurse practitioners, or physician associates for checkups and to diagnose and treat a medical problem.

Let’s face it. When we need care we often need it now and we don’t want to wait a long time for an appointment. In North Carolina, we are already experiencing a health care workforce shortage that is projected to get worse over the next few years. So, what can we do about it?

• We can practice prevention, work on our health, and seek care on a regular basis. Having a primary care provider that knows you can help you stay healthy and the healthier we are the less we place unexpected (think emergencies) demands on the health system.

• We can collaborate with our health care providers when seeking care, by coming prepared for the appointment with information about our current problems.
  
  We can bring a family member or caregiver with us to help us understand and plan for next steps. Another set of ears listening and asking questions makes it easier to remember and understand what was recommended.

• Finally, we can advocate for change in NC laws and regulations that make it easier for our providers to care for us.

An immediate opportunity is to get rid of outdated restrictions that prevent highly- trained advance practice nurses to work independently without expensive and unnecessary legal restrictions. Outdated laws make it hard for them to practice independently in the community.

By getting rid of unneeded regulations, we could increase the number providers in our state, especially in rural communities.

According to the North Carolina Nurses Association, granting full practice authority for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) would make North Carolina the 28th state to do so. The APRN Definitions legislation (S537/H514) is not just supported by nursing organizations, but 26 organizations outside of the nursing profession have publicly endorsed full practice authority for APRNs.

You can stay up to date on this issue and more by signing up for AARP Advocacy Alerts.

The bottom line is there is much you can contribute to the workforce shortage, and I hope you will consider participating as part of healthy aging.

Catherine Sevier, RN, DrPH is President Emerita of AARP NC and Co-Chair of the NC Future of Nursing Action Coalition.