The 10 worst states to be a nurse practitioner
Florida consistently ranks as among the worst state to be a nurse practitioner due to strict supervision laws.
Georgia's rural communities lack access to healthcare, and the state is currently experiencing a shortage of nurse practitioners.
Full, reduced, or restricted practice: Restricted
Autonomous practice restriction: Nurse practitioners cannot independently diagnose and treat patients without physician involvement.
Primary care provider: State statute does not define whether nurse practitioners can be primary care providers.
Ability to prescribe medication: Nurse practitioners in Georgia may only prescribe based on the specialty of their collaborating physician and the Georgia Composite Medical Board's authority.
Additional sources: Valdosta Daily Times
Tennessee doctors have fought back against expanding scope of practice laws for nurse practitioners, even amid a statewide physician shortage.
Full, reduced, or restricted practice: Restricted
Autonomous practice restriction: Nurse practitioners cannot independently diagnose and treat patients without physician involvement.
Primary care provider: State statute does recognize that nurses can act as primary care providers.
Ability to prescribe medication: Nurse practitioners may prescribe a limited amount of drugs with pre-authorization.
Additional sources: Tennessean
Nurse practitioners in Texas must work under the supervision of a physician within a 75-mile radius.
Full, reduced, or restricted practice: Restricted
Autonomous practice restriction: Nurse practitioners cannot independently diagnose and treat patients without physician involvement.
Primary care provider: State statute does recognize that nurses can act as primary care providers.
Ability to prescribe medication: Nurse practitioners may prescribe certain drugs after completing an educational requirement in advanced pharmacotherapeutics.
Additional sources: Nurse.org
In February, North Carolina introduced a bill that would give nurse practitioners more autonomy.
Full, reduced, or restricted practice: Restricted
Autonomous practice restriction: Nurse practitioners cannot independently diagnose and treat patients without physician involvement.
Primary care provider: State statute does not define whether nurse practitioners can be primary care providers.
Ability to prescribe medication: Depending on their education and certification, nurse practitioners may prescribe limited amounts of legend drugs and controlled substances.
Additional sources: North Carolina General Assembly
Michigan nurse practitioners are not explicitly recognized as primary care providers under state law.
Full, reduced, or restricted practice: Restricted
Autonomous practice restriction: Nurse practitioners cannot independently diagnose and treat patients without physician involvement.
Primary care provider: State statute does not explicitly recognize nurse practitioners as primary care providers.
Ability to prescribe medication: Nurse practitioners can prescribe certain drugs under the authority of their collaborating physician and may only prescribe a limited amount of opioids in hospitals.
Additional sources: Scope of Practice Policy
Missouri now allows physicians to supervise nurse practitioners virtually.
Full, reduced, or restricted practice: Restricted
Autonomous practice restriction: Nurse practitioners cannot independently diagnose and treat patients without physician involvement.
Primary care provider: State statute does not define whether nurse practitioners can be primary care providers.
Ability to prescribe medication: Nurse practitioners in Missouri are only authorized to prescribe hydrocodone combination products.
Additional sources: Missouri Senate
In April, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam gave nurse practitioners with five years of full-time clinical experience the ability to get approval to practice without physician supervision.
Full, reduced, or restricted practice: Restricted
Autonomous practice restriction: Nurse practitioners cannot independently diagnose and treat patients without physician involvement.
Primary care provider: State statute does not define whether nurse practitioners can be primary care providers.
Ability to prescribe medication: Nurse practitioners can't prescribe opiates and other drugs unless they complete an educational requirement in pharmacology or pharmacotherapeutics and tell the patient they're a nurse practitioner.
Additional sources: WHSV
South Carolina nurse practitioners slightly outnumber family practice physicians in the state.
Full, reduced, or restricted practice: Restricted
Autonomous practice restriction: Nurse practitioners cannot independently diagnose and treat patients without physician involvement.
Primary care provider: State statute does not define whether nurse practitioners can be primary care providers.
Ability to prescribe medication: Nurse practitioners may prescribe certain drugs as long as they sign the prescription and provide their prescriptive authority number, the location of their practice, and the collaborating physician's information.
Additional sources: The Post and Courier
Louisiana law implies, but does not outright state, nurse practitioners can be officially listed as primary care providers.
Full, reduced, or restricted practice: Reduced
Autonomous practice restriction: Nurse practitioners cannot independently diagnose and treat patients without physician involvement.
Primary care provider: State law implies, but does not explicitly state, that nurse practitioners can be listed as a primary care provider, according to MidlevelU.
Ability to prescribe medication: Nurse practitioners cannot prescribe opiates and other drugs used to treat chronic pain, intractable pain, or obesity.
Additional sources: MidlevelU.com
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