What can a NP do that a Nurse Cannot?

What NPs can do that Nurses can't do is generally prescribe treatments, tests, medications, and diagnoses. While it depends on the state, most NPs can often prescribe medication when it's approved by a physician, while RNs are not allowed to prescribe anything in any state. 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 include. (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).