Certified Nurse Practitioner Awareness of Regulatory Changes in Vermont

As states adjust their administrative rules to reflect the recommendations of the Institute of Medicine and the APRN Consensus Model, attention must be paid to the process and outcomes of informing certified nurse practitioners (CNPs) about the changes that impact their practice. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to assess self-perceived knowledge of the 2011 administrative rules change among Vermont CNPs, learn how they acquire knowledge of regulatory changes, and determine the accuracy of the garnered knowledge. The sample consisted of Vermont CNPs (N = 41) who were members of the Vermont Nurse Practitioner Association's e-mail list and who completed the Vermont Administrative Rules Assessment. Perceived knowledge had little relationship to actual knowledge. The entire sample achieved a score of 62% correct, though all respondents claimed to be at least “somewhat knowledgeable.”The areas of the greatest knowledge deficit, regardless of the level of perceived knowledge, were the number of practice hours required for license renewal, collaborative agreement requirements, and quality improvement guidelines, which were some of the major aspects of Vermont's regulatory change. No significant associations were found among the demographics of the respondents, knowledge scores, and perceived knowledge levels. This study suggests that CNPs in Vermont have knowledge gaps related to changes in administrative rules, which raises questions about how prepared they are to adhere to regulations that affect their practice.