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:
Practice Authority
Mobile users can use this dropdown of states if the map is too small.
LEGEND
- Full independent practice authority
- Transition to independent practice period required
- Physician relationship required
Practice authority can be defined as nurse practitioners’ ability to practice with or without physician oversight. Some states require a NP to have a relationship with a physician that outlines procedures the nurse practitioner may perform and procedures for consulting with the physician. In some states, policy specifies whether a nurse practitioner must complete a transition to practice period before practicing independently. In other states, nurse practitioners have full independent practice authority, meaning they practice independently with no physician oversight.
Policy areas for Nurse Practitioners
Nurse Practitioner as a Primary Care Provider
Practitioner Scope of Practice
- Behavioral Health Providers
- Nurse Practitioners
- Optometrists
- Oral Health Providers
- Pharmacists
- Physician Assistants