The Full Practice Authority Initiative: Lessons Learned From Nevada

• Eight barriers to full practice authority legislation were identified.
• Multiple approaches to overcome barriers were successfully utilized in Nevada.
• These findings may be useful for other states vying for full practice authority legislation.

A qualitative, multiple-participant case study design was employed to identify legislative barriers to full practice authority legislation and how they were overcome during Nevada’s 2013 legislative session. Eight barriers were identified: lack of a clear vision; lack of physician support; inability to address all stakeholders; lack of a strong coalition; lack of vital resources; nurse practitioner role recognition; community and regulatory organizations; and social media. Efforts to overcome these issues are described. The findings may be useful in states vying for full practice authority legislation, and may act as a stepping stone toward addressing the provider shortage in the United States.