History of NANNPU-DMV

The nurse practitioner role was developed following the successful piloting of the master’s-level Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program at the University of Colorado by nursing faculty member Dr. Loretta Ford and her physician colleague Dr. Henry K Silver. Many NP programs were subsequently developed as continuing education and master’s degree programs.

The first NP program was implemented in Maryland, a nine-month Adult Nurse Practitioner Certificate Program followed by a one-year internship.

The first four students were admitted into the first master’s-level Adult Nurse Practitioner Program at the University of Maryland. Other continuing education programs were established at other hospitals and schools within the next few years.

Nurse practitioners in Maryland recognized that the Nurse Practice Act would need to be amended if they were to be able to practice. The Maryland State Nurses Association (MNA) represented nurse practitioners who joined their Primary Care Special Interest Council. Enabling legislation would have passed on the first attempt, however regulations could not be agreed upon because NPs refused to allow the term “supervision” to be used to describe their relationship with physicians. The legislation expired.

New legislation passed, which described a collaborative relationship between NPs and physicians. Other legislation required a guarantee reimbursement for services.

NPAM became an independent professional organization. While the MNA had been instrumental in representing NPs and helping pass legislation, MNAs mandate to represent all nurses in Maryland diluted their ability to represent NPs exclusively. The decision to form an independent organization was motivated by the desire to better meet the needs of NPs in solving complex issues that are unique to nurse practitioners. These issues, including legislation, scope of practice, and reimbursement, are still relevant today.
NPAM hires lobbyist and legal counsel William Pitcher, Esq.

William Pitcher, Esq. guides NPAM in passing legislation that allows nurse practitioners to be named to the provider panels of HMOs.

NPAM begins providing exceptional continuing education opportunities for members and other NPs in Maryland and surrounding states through the Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference for Nurse Practitioners (MARC-NP).

Legislation passes designating the appointment of an Advanced Practice Nurse to the Maryland Board of Nursing.

Legislation passes enabling nurse practitioners to sign birth and death certificates, advanced directives, and applications for handicapped license tags—all tasks that had previously been carried out by physicians but which lie well within the domain of primary care nurse practitioners.

NPAM offers two mini-MARC conferences. These are high quality, single day conferences held in two different areas of the state with a focus on sports medicine.

NPAM spearheaded legislation that eliminated the bulky written collaborative agreement that had to be approved by a joint committee of the Board of Nursing and the Board of Physicians.  The new process is an attestation statement that is filed with and approved by the Board of Nursing.  This new system streamlined job changes.

Julie Stanik Hutt CRNP, long time NPAM member, is elected as the Maryland State Representative to AANP.

In January of 2013, an Executive Director was hired part-time to provide administrative support to the Board of Directors, assist with overseeing the management of the Association, and to represent NPAM in the community and at meetings of stakeholders.

Major revisions to the NPAM Bylaws were made and approved by membership in December, 2013.

Tonya Appleby CRNP, NPAM member and Past President, is elected as the Maryland State Representative to AANP.

NPAM leads the charge to repeal the Attestation requirement and assists with writing a bill along with various stakeholders.

On May 12, 2015 Governor Larry Hogan signs HB999, Certified Nurse Practitioners – Authority to Practice into law, repealing the attestation requirement. This bill requires those NPs who have never practiced to name a mentor on their application with the Maryland Board of Nursing for the first 18 months of practice as a nurse practitioner.

The first NP Lobby Night is organized and held in Annapolis on March 14, 2016. Legislation passes which includes NPs as certifying providers as it relates to laws governing medical cannabis. Other legislation passes which sets up a 5 year pilot project that allows for a tax incentive to NPs who precept students in rural areas of Maryland.

The National Association of Nigerian Nurse Practitioners USA, in DC, Maryland, and Virginia (NANNPU-DMV) is an organization of advanced practice nurses of Nigerian origin resident in the United States of America. NANNPU-DMV is the second of its kind in the USA for these indigenous practitioners who have acquired a minimum of a Master’s degree in their different practice specialties. The organization started as a support group for Nigerian Nurse Practitioners in the DMV under the initiative of one of its members, who has extensive NP experiences, touched by limiting stories of other Nigerian NPs and students, and motivation from the leadership of NANNPU-DFW believes the Nigerian NP community could do more to help, while also becoming more knowledgeable of practice and other health care activities in their areas.

The membership of NANNPU-DMV is made up of Nigerian NPs that reside in two sister states and a sister district – Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia. The association is led by a president  who is elected every two years and is allowed to serve six consecutive years according to NANNPU-DMV bylaws. NANNPU-DMV currently has more than 100 members and counting. Special educational and networking activities are held monthly through professional sponsorship,  while meetings are held bi-monthly. Members may attend either meetings or educational activities as their schedules  permits.

NANNPU’s Board of Directors is comprised of volunteers. The board consists of a president, past presidents, Vice-president, advisory board chairman, secretary, Asst. secretary, Treasurer, financial secretary, social director, provost and committee chairpersons.

Become part of the history….
As with any professional organization, its power is increased when the membership numbers are the largest. NANNP-DMV wants all Nigerian NPs in DC, Maryland  & Virginia to join. We invite non-members to contact us to discuss how they can JOIN!