What can a doctor do that an NP Cannot?

What Doctors can do that NPs can't is to prescribe medication. While it depends on the state, most NPs can only prescribe medication when it's approved by a physician, or they cannot prescribe medication at all. The three types of state policy implemented include:

• Full-Practice: NPs can fully evaluate and treat patients without the approval of a physician in the following states.

  (Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Northern Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, and Wyoming).

• Reduced-Authority: These are states where NPs can prescribe medication with physician oversight. (Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Wisconsin).

• Restricted: These are states where NPs cannot prescribe, diagnose, or treat patients without physician oversight. (California, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia).