Dear ASRT Member:

The final day to submit comments on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs regulatory proposal that would allow advanced practice registered nurses full practice authority without clinical supervision or mandatory collaboration with physicians is Monday, July 25, 2016. The ASRT strongly opposes Section 17.415(d)(1)(i)(B) of this measure as only registered radiologic technologists should perform procedures that use ionizing radiation. This regulation, as proposed, grants full practice authority to certified nurse practitioners and includes the ability to “order, perform, supervise, and interpret laboratory and imaging studies” in VA facilities. Certified nurse practitioners do not have the education, experience or skills required to perform highly technical procedures like conventional radiography and fluoroscopy, computed tomography, magnetic resonance, nuclear medicine, vascular-interventional procedures, cardiac-interventional procedures or bone densitometry.

ASRT encourages all radiologic technologists to join in our effort to oppose this shortsighted proposal and demand that “perform, supervise and interpret” be removed from Section 17.415(d)(1)(i)(B). Please submit your comments to the federal government and let them know that you strongly oppose the VA’s efforts to bypass patient safety measures by allowing nonqualified certified nursing professionals to perform medical imaging procedures. You can submit comments directly through the ASRT Advocacy Action Center. ASRT has created a comments template that you can easily customize. Please go to the ASRT Advocacy Action Center to voice your concerns about this proposed regulation. The deadline for comment submission is Monday, July 25, 2016, so your urgent action is needed today!

Sincerely,
Sal Martino, Ed.D., R.T.(R), FASRT, CAE Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director