Provides that advanced practice registered nurses have the same immunity from liability as physicians and surgeons.

Plain-English Summary

This bill would update Rhode Island's mental health law to give advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) — such as nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists — the same legal protections that physicians and surgeons already have when providing certain mental health-related care. Currently, doctors can receive immunity (protection from being sued) in specific situations under the state's mental health law, but APRNs do not automatically receive the same protection even when performing similar duties.

In practical terms, this means that if an APRN makes a good-faith medical decision while caring for a mental health patient — such as deciding whether someone needs to be hospitalized or released — they would be shielded from personal legal liability in the same way a doctor would be. This protection typically applies when a healthcare provider acts reasonably and in accordance with professional standards, not when there is clear negligence or wrongdoing.

This bill primarily affects APRNs who work in mental health settings, as well as the patients they serve. For APRNs, it could make them more willing to take on mental health cases without fear of lawsuits for difficult judgment calls. For patients, it may help expand access to mental health care, since APRNs are increasingly filling roles that were once handled only by physicians. The bill has been introduced and sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee for review.