Nurse practitioners are gaining authority to work independently in many states. They are allowed to perform certain cosmetic procedures, but this depends on state rules. In a few states, nurse practitioners can operate their own practice; however, in other states they can work only in the presence of a doctor. This is a debatable topic as many healthcare professionals don’t agree to give full authority to NP due to varied reasons.
Let’s find out what states allow a nurse practitioner to open their own practice.
Type of Practice Authority
There are varied types of rules when it comes to the medical industry, and thus many states have rules related to practicing any procedure. The medical practice is divided into categories such as:
Full Practice
A few states allow the nurse practitioner to work independently, starting with checking the patient’s health, running a diagnosis test, interpreting the result, and initiating treatment plans, including prescribing medications, without physician oversight. States such as Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, and Massachusetts are famous for letting nurse practitioners open their own practice to give the best services to the people.
Reduced Practice
In the setting where the nurse practitioner can perform the task in a limited way, that is reduced practice. The nurse practitioner can perform the task independently, but a certain part of the procedure requires the supervision of a doctor or physician. Major cities like New York, New Jersey, and Ohio offer this type of reduced practice for nurse practitioners.
Restricted Practice
Few states do not allow nurse practitioners to work independently; thus, they require the supervision of a doctor throughout the process of any procedure. Major cities like California and Florida do not allow the nurse practitioner to perform any procedure all alone.
Benefits of Nurse Practitioners Opening Their Own Practice
Nurse practitioners are the ones who underwent strenuous training to earn the certification. If they can open their own practice, what benefits can this bring to the healthcare industry? Let’s find out:
- Expanded access to rural and small cities: when the nurse practitioner can open their own practice, small cities and rural communities can benefit as they have limited access to the major cities’ doctors and physicians.
- Medical treatments at low cost: Nurse practitioners do not charge like other physicians. This makes the treatment cost-effective.
- High quality care: The treatment is important, but post-procedure care holds equal value. Nurse practitioners are good at handling patients and providing complete care to them to assure full recovery.
- Reduces the gap: The shortage of healthcare professionals is a new challenge in the healthcare industry, so allowing NP to perform the treatment can reduce the shortage.
Drawbacks of Nurse Practitioners Opening Their Own Practice
As there are certain pros of the nurse practitioner working independently, the other side of the coin shows some cons, such as:
- Less Training: A physician undergoes more hours of training than a nurse practitioner. This makes the NP less skilled with varied situations that might occur during treatment.
- Risk of Safety: people argue that full practice can put people at risk as the treatment may require a senior doctor’s intervention, and due to the low cost, people prefer the NP risking their lives.
- Overstepping Boundaries: Critics worry that NPs might try to manage conditions outside their expertise without proper referral to a specialist, leading to potential patient harm.
Final Thought
Keeping all the benefits and drawbacks in mind, many states have applied reduced practice for limited practice options for the NPs where they can perform independently but under the supervision of an experienced doctor.
