Background
In a health care system with issues like doctor shortages and underserved regions, nurse practitioners can be a way to meet these challenges and better respond to patient needs.
Healthcare organizations across the country are in need of nurse practitioners, and becoming one can be a great way to build a career and reputation that fits your goals.
What is an autonomous nurse practitioner?
An autonomous nurse practitioner is a nurse practitioner that can legally perform some, or all of the activities traditionally reserved for physicians. These activities can include things like:
- Conducting physical exams
- Ordering labs and tests
- Interpreting test results
- Making medical diagnoses
- Building treatment plans
- Prescribing medication
- Helping patients manage illness
- Referring patients to outside specialists
There are three levels of autonomy in the United States, and regulations differ by state.
Types of Practice Regulations
| Type | Can autonomously | Need physician oversight | US States that allow this level of practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Autonomy | Prescribe medication, diagnose and treat patients, operate independent practice | N/A | AK, AZ, CO, CT, DC, DE, HI, IA, ID, KS, MA, MD, ME, MN, MT, ND, NE, NH, NM, NV, NY, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WY |
| Reduced Autonomy | Diagnose and treat patients | Prescribe medication, operate independent practice | AL, AR, IL, IN, KY, MS, NJ, LA, OH, PA, WI, WV |
| Restricted Autonomy | N/A | Prescribe medication, diagnose and treat patients, operate independent practice | CA, FL, GA, MI, MO, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA |
What are the benefits of autonomous nurse practitioner practice?
Autonomous nurse practitioner practice has several benefits for patients, providers, and organizations at large.
- Autonomous NPs can provide advanced healthcare for rural populations that may not otherwise have access to healthcare in their communities.
- Using NPs can also reduce overall healthcare costs for basic visits like routine physicals, making healthcare more affordable.
- Autonomy gives nurse practitioners the opportunity to build a practice that fits their career goals and specialties.
- Greater autonomy can increase job satisfaction for nurse practitioners, as they’re allowed more freedom to lead and make decisions.
- Autonomous NPs can also promote better communication, as they’re able to fully interface with, educate, and advocate for their patients.
- Evidence shows that patients may experience shorter hospital stays and higher quality care under autonomous nurse practitioners.
Connecting nurse practitioners with jobs
If you’re looking to take the next step in your career as an autonomous nurse practitioner, All Medical has vast relationships with healthcare organizations that are in desperate need of locum tenens autonomous nurse practitioners.
As a locum tenens agency, we can help you with job placement and identifying the states that will allow you to practice as an autonomous nurse practitioner. We’re also here to provide support to ensure a smooth transition to your next placement, taking care of details like housing to let you focus on success at work.
Key takeaways
Autonomous nurse practitioners are highly skilled and can be an impactful way to solve issues and pain points within the healthcare system like access, costs, and staffing shortages. NPs can be especially critical to meeting healthcare needs in underserved areas.
The question of what level of autonomy to grant NPs can be divisive in the healthcare community. Most agree autonomous nurse practitioners can help, but there are varying opinions on how to use them.
You can join the ranks of other autonomous NPs to gain more freedom, forward your career, and help underserved patients.
Search jobs or sign up for job notifications or learn more about how All Medical could be the right locum tenens agency for you.
