Publications
Overview of Nurse Practitioner Scopes of Practice in the United States
Date:
Dec 2007
Nurse Practitioners (NPs) are registered nurses who are prepared beyond initial nursing education in an NP program to provide primary care directly to patients. NP educational requirements, certification mechanisms and legal scopes of practice are decided at the state level and vary considerably. This brief discusses the findings of the Chart Overview of Nurse Practitioner Scopes of Practice in United States (the “Chart”). The Chart provides a current overview of statutes and regulations governing the practice of nurse practitioners (NPs). It is a snapshot of NP scopes of practice in the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.