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.