RN groups band together to prepare for scope of practice war with AMA.

Nurse groups are rallying together to stop organized medicine from succeeding in a turf war between nurses and doctors.

In response to the American Medical Association and other physician groups' renewed efforts to limit the scope of practice of non-physician health care providers, the newly formed Coalition for Patients' Rights urged all health care professionals to work together to counter the AMA's actions.

The AMA and other physician groups recently formed the Scope of Practice Partnership to study the work and qualifications of "allied health professionals" in rural and underserved areas.

The CPR said the biased study is designed to limit the ability of non-physician health care professionals to practice and provide appropriate care.

The AMA has been waging this outdated battle for a long time, Mitch Tobin, senior director of professional practice affairs at the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, a member of CPR, told LNN.

"This [SOPP] is taking old positions and attitudes and dressing them up in different clothing. It's all marketing, packaging and spin," Tobin said.

However, what is particularly troubling about this newest effort by the medical community to limit nurse scope of practice is that they could get a lot of money behind this initiative, Tobin told LNN. The AMA is ramping up its latest opposition effort to a whole new level, he added. The AMA is requiring $25,000 annually from groups who join SOPP.