Being a Nurse Practitioner in Florida

One of the great things about nurse practitioners is that they can prescribe controlled substances… Or can they?

Gail Sadler is a nurse practitioner that has a private practice in Carollwood, FL, but she isn’t allowed to write prescriptions for controlled substances. “Florida is the only state in the U.S. that doesn’t allow NPs, who hold at least a master’s degree and must be nationally certified, to prescribe controlled substances.”

Johns Hopkins School of Nursing’s Andrea Parsons Schram is a family practitioner who is passionate about the role and contributions of NPs within primary care. She was cited in the article regarding NPs making inroads stating her opinion, “When it’s mandated by the state, it can curtail access to care.” Think of all the things that could be accomplished if a wider scope of practice was allowed in every U.S. state.

Hear more from Andrea in our “Nursing Outlook” expert series as she discusses population based nursing. [youtube]https://youtu.be/nXkJcNarEwE?list=PLjwwdVoK8h_yOW0a2q-zwY_ijtPTl-jFX[/youtube]

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: SARAH ENGEL

As a Social & Digital Media Coordinator, Sarah helps all faculty, staff, and students around the School of Nursing spread the word regarding their recent findings, events, travels, and endeavors.