The Commission on Human Rights welcomed the timely proposal of Senate Bill 1447 or the Philippine Nursing Practice Act of 2022 which introduces a new provision on the Advanced Practice Nurse — an expanded and more collaborative role for qualified nurses to allow more efficient access to Universal Health Care for all Filipinos.
Under the proposed measure, the APNs refer to nurses who, aside from being board passers, have acquired a "substantial level of theoretical knowledge and decision-making skill in a specialty area of nursing practice and demonstrated proficiency in clinical utilization of such knowledge" from a recognized higher educational institution.
It also seeks to authorize the practice of "Agreed Upon Based Care" in which APNs, through mutual agreement with and approval by the primary physician in charge, are permitted to conduct patient care through teleconsultation or other means of communication during emergency circumstances such as unavailability of a physician or lack of a physician due to the inaccessibility of an area.
CHR also acknowledged the recognition from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., on the importance of passing such measure to further advance the nursing profession.
