Nurse practitioners granted full practice authority in New York

New York has granted nurse practitioners full practice authority, becoming the 25th state to do so.

Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the state budget bill, which included the grant of full practice authority.

FPA is the authorization of NPs to evaluate patients; diagnose, order and interpret diagnostic tests; initiate and manage treatments; and prescribe medications, all under the exclusive licensure authority of the state board of nursing. They no longer have to be affiliated with a physician or health care facility that would provide oversight.

According to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, this framework “eliminates unnecessary, outdated regulatory barriers that prevent patients from accessing these vital care services directly from NPs. Leading health policy experts like the National Academy of Medicine have long recommended that states adopt such legislation to improve health care access and outcomes.”

“New York has taken a critical step forward in our country, increasing access to vital health care services. New Yorkers will now have full and direct access to the comprehensive care NPs provide,” said April N. Kapu, DNP, APRN, president of AANP in a statement. “Over the past two years, New York has waived unnecessary and outdated laws limiting access to health care. AANP applauds the state legislature and Gov. Hochul for recognizing that these provisions need to continue. These changes will help New York attract and retain nurse practitioners and provide New Yorkers better access to quality care," said Kapu.

New York is the 25th state to grant NPs full practice authority. As of April 2022, there are more than 355,000 licensed NPs in the U.S. providing care in communities of all sizes across the nation.