Overcoming Barriers to Healthcare Reform: A Call to Action

Abstract

The success of healthcare reform hinges on policymaker, regulator, and administrator actions that shape policies at various levels. These policies can either facilitate or hinder the practice of healthcare professionals and collaborative work environments. It is imperative for all healthcare professionals to fully utilize their education and certification, as fostering an equitable workplace culture is vital for retaining staff and improving access to care. Using nurse practitioners (NPs) as an exemplar, this article aims to specify systemic barriers to healthcare reform and call for policymakers, regulators, and clinical agency administrators to enact change. Barriers to NP practice include restrictive oversight by external stakeholders, financial incentives for indirect billing, and hierarchical constraints that limit NP contributions to the healthcare system. The growing healthcare provider shortage disproportionately impacts primary care and rural settings. NPs are increasingly more likely to fill these roles than medical doctors and have documented positive patient health outcomes. Removing systemic obstacles for NP practice increases access to care. Nursing—the largest healthcare workforce with diverse roles—operates under complex oversight from multiple organizations for licensure, accreditation, certification, and education. The recent trend of external stakeholders influencing and requiring additional oversight has created barriers to nursing practice. Despite national education, accreditation, and certification standards, nursing licensure and practice are increasingly negotiated with external stakeholders and supervised at the state and institutional levels. Supporting all healthcare professionals to practice according to their education and certification can advance healthcare reform, address workforce shortages, increase access to care, and improve health.