The past, present and future of nurse prescribing in the United States

Abstract

Nurse prescribing facilitates access to health care for many individuals and enhances the nurse’s ability to provide comprehensive care. In the United States, the only nurses who are authorized to prescribe medications are Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs), registered nurses with advanced knowledge and skills. For over 30 years, APNs have worked to achieve recognition of nursing prescriptive authority. Currently, APNs in all 50 states have some level of prescribing ability, however requirements, standards, and practice vary from state to state. Additionally, many of the barriers that hindered initial approval of nurse prescribing still persist. Ongoing legislative and educational efforts are necessary to realize the achievement of truly independent prescriptive authority in every state.