Florida Puts Patients First – Maintains Physician Supervision of Nurse Anesthetists

On March 11, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law House Bill 607, legislation authorizing “autonomous” practice for advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) engaged in primary care. The new law removes physician involvement requirements for those APRNs providing care in family medicine, general pediatrics, and general internal medicine. Thanks to the tireless work of the Florida Society of Anesthesiologists (FSA), lawmakers recognized the medical practice of anesthesia is markedly different from primary care. With real safety issues at stake for Floridians, combined with no access issues and no cost savings to be realized by removing supervision requirements, nurse anesthetists were carved out of the bill, preserving physician-led anesthesia in the state. ASA applauds the patient-first focus of Florida lawmakers and extends its appreciation to the FSA for its work to ensure lawmakers were informed of the facts and the potentially serious consequences of removing physicians from anesthesia care.