Assignment task:
Write 150 word reply to the following peers Lakecia's post: According to Nurse Journal (2024), nurse practitioners (NPs) have three categories of practice authority: full practice, reduced practice, and restricted practice. NPs can diagnose patients, order tests, prescribe medications, and even run their own independent practices. Full practice authority allows NPs to operate independently without the supervision of a physician, though some states may require them to work under a physician for a set number of years or obtain additional certifications before gaining full autonomy. However, these requirements are temporary and do not permanently limit their independence. In Florida, since July 2020, NPs specializing in family medicine, general pediatrics, and internal medicine can practice independently after completing 3,000 supervised hours under an experienced physician and meeting graduate-level coursework requirements in diagnosis and pharmacology (Daily Nurse, 2020). This excludes surgical procedures deeper than the subcutaneous layer of skin. For other specialties, however, Florida maintains a restrictive practice environment, requiring NPs to work under physician supervision for all aspects of their practice. While some autonomy can be achieved with experience, the requirement for physician oversight remains in place for these fields (Nurse journal, 2024).