A group of nurse practitioners has sued New York state in federal court alleging their employer has them doing the same work as physicians, but for substantially less pay, according to an Oct. 10 Medscape report.
According to the complaint, the state understates the roles of NPs, overstates their dependence on physicians and inadequately pays them for their work.
The claim also alleges gender discrimination, noting that "at least 80% of the state's employed NPs are women."
NPs have been pushing the state to attain equitable pay for the last decade, according to the report.
In 2022, the state enacted legislation that significantly expanded NPs' scope of practice, granting them authority to evaluate, order, diagnose, manage treatments and prescribe medications for patients without physician supervision.
Six plaintiffs are named in the lawsuit, all of whom are women and work for state agencies.