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FNPN Call to Action!!
GENERAL BILL by Burton
Health Care Practitioner Specialty Titles and Designations; Prohibiting the use of specified titles and designations by health care practitioners not licensed as physicians or osteopathic physicians, as applicable, with an exception; specifying the manner in which health care practitioners may represent their specialty practice areas; specifying specialist titles and designations that physicians and osteopathic physicians, respectively, are prohibited from using unless they have received formal recognition by the appropriate recognizing agency for such specialty certifications, etc.
Once again, Senator Colleen Burton has filled the above bill, and Representative Karen Gonzales-Pittman has filled it in the House.
We request that FNPN members and all APRNs contact the following list of Senators and ask them not to support SB172.
Specifically direct your comments to the following members of the Senate Health (Policy) Regulations Committee and ask them to Vote NO.
- Senator Lori Berman (D)
- Senator Alexis Calatayud (R)
- Senator Tracie Davis (D)
- Senator Thomas J. "Tom" Leek (R)
- Senator Rosalind Osgood (D)
- Senator Jay Trumbull (R)
Governor Ron DeSantis vetoed this language in 2023 and House Speaker Paul Renner refused to hear the bill in 2024.
This bill presents challenges disproportionately affecting APRNs; every other discipline can use their educational title. As of February 2025, 64,953 licensed APRNs in Florida are providing high quality healthcare for many Floridians.
Please act now since this bill could be heard in committee as early as this week.
Thank you for advocating for our profession!
Arlene Wright, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, FNAP, FAANP
Note from Tracey Rzepka, APRN. Not sure why they did not include the whole committee above. These are the actual links of the whole committees below. Gayle Harrell is the Senator who is very against NPs. I think this bill in general means if you are practicing in Neurology you can’t call yourself a neurologist which does make sense. But you can:
- 88 describe his or her practice: “...(name or title of the
- 89 practitioner’s profession)..., specializing in ...(name of the
- 90 practitioner’s specialty)....”
Chair:
Senator Colleen Burton (R)
Vice Chair:
Senator Gayle Harrell (R)
Rules Committee
Chair:
Senator Kathleen Passidomo (R)
Vice Chair:
Senator Shevrin D. "Shev" Jones (D)
Just FYI from AI: Florida did not pass a law preventing nurse practitioners from using the title "Dr." even if they are doctorally prepared; a recent bill that would have done so was vetoed by Governor Ron DeSantis, meaning nurse practitioners in Florida can still use the title "Doctor" if they have a doctorate degree.
Key points about the situation:
A bill was introduced in Florida that would have prohibited advanced practice registered nurses (including nurse practitioners with doctorates) from using the title "Doctor."
Governor DeSantis vetoed this bill, meaning the proposed restriction on using the "Doctor" title for nurse practitioners did not become law.
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