Negligence and Malpractice
Negligence and Malpractice Nurse practitioners (NPs) carrying out their daily routines have one thing that appears on their “to do” lists every single day: “Do no harm.” Nevertheless, when an…
Hospital Privileges
Hospital Privileges It was a tradition in the medical field that a patient who needed to be admitted to a hospital was admitted through the patient’s primary physician, who visited…
Prescribing
Prescribing Nurse practitioners (NPs) in 50 states and the District of Columbia have the legal authority to prescribe. The independence of NPs’ prescriptive authority varies widely, and, in several states,…
Federal Regulation of the Nurse Practitioner Profession
Federal Regulation of the Nurse Practitioner Profession The federal government regulates NP practice through statutes enacted by Congress and regulations, policies, and guidelines written by federal agencies. Federal law may…
State Regulation of Nurse Practitioner Practice
State Regulation of Nurse Practitioner Practice The law governing nurse practitioner (NP) definition, scope of practice, prescriptive authority, and requirement of physician collaboration, if any, may be enacted by a…
Legal Scope of Nurse Practitioner Practice
Legal Scope of Nurse Practitioner Practice Having an adequate legal description of NPs’ scope of practice in state law is important for the following reasons: To allow NPs to perform…
What Is a Nurse Practitioner?
What Is a Nurse Practitioner? Individuals who have never experienced the care of a nurse practitioner (NP)— whether they are physicians, reporters, lawmakers, bureaucrats, lobbyists, or new patients—often request clarification…
