Advocating on Multiple Fronts

This article reflects NHNPA’s July 2026 advocacy review.

This year, we showed up in the boardroom, the coalition meeting, and the community conversation—and it made a difference. Here is a look at three areas where NHNPA was active beyond the Legislature.

A Board of Nursing win

When the New Hampshire Board of Nursing proposed requiring all nurses to hold CPR certification as a condition of licensure, NHNPA engaged. We submitted written feedback during the public-comment period, then attended the Board meeting to present member concerns directly and speak with Board members.

The Board reconsidered and changed course: CPR certification will be a recommendation, not a mandate. That meaningful result came directly from NHNPA members raising their voices.

NH Medicaid Matters—NHNPA at the coalition table

Ninety percent of New Hampshire APRNs accept Medicaid, and any significant reduction in the program directly affects the patients who depend on APRNs for their care. With federal proposals threatening significant cuts to Medicaid and New Hampshire’s Granite Advantage program, NHNPA joined the NH Medicaid Matters coalition—a partnership of more than 80 healthcare, advocacy, and business organizations.

Through the coalition, NHNPA participated in communications efforts, public webinars, advocacy training, and community conversations held across New Hampshire. At the State House, we also tracked SB 506, which would have imposed work requirements on Granite Advantage enrollees. At the time of NHNPA’s July review, it had been retained for interim study.

This work continues beyond the legislative session. For current coalition information, visit NH Needs Medicaid.

Rural Health Transformation—NHNPA is at the table

New Hampshire is in the early stages of one of the most significant investments in rural healthcare in state history. Through the federal Rural Health Transformation Program, New Hampshire was awarded $204 million for year one of a five-year plan—with up to approximately $500 million total—administered through the state’s new GO-NORTH office.

Rural New Hampshire communities are among those most dependent on APRNs for primary and behavioral healthcare, and how these funds are deployed will shape the workforce landscape our members work in. This spring, the Rural Health Transformation Initiative hosted regional workforce forums across the state, and NHNPA encouraged members to attend and make the APRN voice part of those conversations.

To every APRN who showed up to a forum—thank you. More opportunities to engage are coming as the program moves from planning to implementation.

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Next in the series: Part 3 looks beyond New Hampshire at a federal issue affecting advanced nursing students.