The Struggle for Full Practice in North Carolina

That nurse practitioners (NPs) delivery high-quality care, equivalent to that provided by physicians, is well documented. However, many states have laws that restrict NPs from full practice authority, limiting their ability to comprehensively meet patient needs. North Carolina is a state that has very restrictive laws, with NPs working under physician supervision. In this article we address the effect restricted practice has had in North Carolina and the introduction of Senate Bill 695 (the Modernize Nursing Practice Act) that, if passed, would legislate full practice authority for NPs in our state.