Nurse practitioners are advanced practice registered professional nurses who are prepared through advanced graduate education and clinical training to provide a range of health services, including the diagnosis and management of common as well as complex medical conditions to people of all ages.
The links to the right lead to maps showing a comparison of all states and territories for the following three policy areas:
1) practice authority
2) prescriptive authority
3) nurse practitioners identified as primary care providers
Choose a tab to explore different options. For more detailed information, please click on a state or territory.
Nurse Practitioners:
Prescriptive Authority
Mobile users can use this dropdown of states if the map is too small.
LEGEND
- Full independent prescriptive authority
- Transition to independent prescribing period required
- Physician relationship required for prescribing privileges
Prescriptive authority refers to a nurse practitioner’s authority to prescribe medications. Some states require a relationship with a physician that outlines the nurse practitioner’s prescribing abilities. Some states specify whether a nurse practitioner must complete a transition to practice period before being able to prescribe independently. State law in some places allows nurse practitioners to prescribe medications independently without physician oversight.
Policy areas for Nurse Practitioners
Nurse Practitioner as a Primary Care Provider
Practitioner Scope of Practice
- Behavioral Health Providers
- Nurse Practitioners
- Oral Health Providers
- Pharmacists
- Physician Assistants