Florida regulates Advance Practice Registered Nurses (APRN) to protect professionalism and secure quality. Students should prepare for their future APRN roles by knowing their scope and regal requirements. They must also know how to acquire licenses because the documentation enables them to work. Florida laws are generally APRN-friendly and also protect patients’ interests.
Florida requires that APRN licensure and certification candidates apply and pay appropriate fees. The Board of Nursing (BoN) currently allows online and in-person applications. Regardless of how one applies, one must pay $110 for the application and $100 for dispensation. Candidates must also visit Livescan Service Provider for biometrics. BoN also requires them to write their certification bodies to confirm their statuses. The process takes 30 days if applicants provide all documents including malpractice insurance covers (Florida Board of Nursing, 2023). Online applications are done on https://floridasnursing.gov/, the official website.
NPs’ practice in the state covers various functions. They can order tests, offer diagnoses, and manage treatment. Their functions mirror those of physicians. Additionally, they have prescriptive powers, albeit with limitations. Hence, they also prescribe and order drugs that their patients need. NPs also perform other nursing roles, like monitoring the patients under their care for chronic and acute issues (Florida Board of Nursing, 2023). The practice agreement empowers NPs to be autonomous from physicians if they qualify. Their prescription licenses cover controlled substances. Therefore, they can cover most physician roles.
It is necessary to have a DEA license for NPs who want to have prescriptive powers in Florida. In case one does not have a DEA license, they must work under physicians who will give the prescriptions. To get the license, Floridian NPs must visit the DEA Office of Diversion Control’s website and use available links to apply and submit required documents (DEA Diversion Control Division, 2023). They must have covered the needed pharmacology courses in their transcripts. Electronic-Florida Online Reporting of Controlled Substance Evaluation Program (E-FORCSE®) monitors prescriptions in the state (DEA Diversion Control Division, 2023). E-FORCSE® is a portal that professionals must use to update prescriptions. It enables the monitoring of various controlled substances and prevents their overprescription. The program is necessary for safe and fair prescription.
The laws also regulate what NPs can prescribe and the periods to protect consumers. For instance, for schedule II category substances, NPs can only prescribe for seven days (Florida Board of Nursing, 2023). After the days, the patients must return for other prescriptions. Even though the provision is limiting, it ensures optimal safety and quality. The laws also provide that only psychiatric NPs can prescribe psychoactive drugs to children. However, even when psychiatric nurses prescribe psychoactive drugs, the seven-day limitation remains (Schirle et al., 2019). NPs need to partake in continuous education biannually to keep their licenses. Having active prescription licenses enables NPs to open independent clinics.
While laws encourage NP independent practice, several issues limit it. First, NPs get lower reimbursements for their work as compared to physicians. Even though professionals use similar skills in similar roles, their pay is usually reduced (Pennbrant et al., 2020). Also, limiting how long they can prescribe makes their services inconvenient. Hence, the competitiveness of the nurse-led clinics is lower than that of physician offices. Advocacies should, therefore, focus on improving pay and relaxing the seven-day limitation to allow NPs to prescribe for longer.
In conclusion, NPs in Florida are legally allowed to open autonomous clinics and offer physician-like care. They must get licenses and the needed certifications to operate. Hence, knowing the application processes and the fees levied is important. NP scope cover prescription. Hence, Florida laws regulate how NPs perform their role to ensure patient safety.
References
DEA Diversion Control Division. (2023). DEA Diversion Control Division. https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/faq/index.html
Florida Board of Nursing. (2023). Advanced Practice Registered Nurse. https://floridasnursing.gov/licensing/advanced-practice-registered-nurse/#tab-statutes-rules
Pennbrant, S., Hjorton, C., Nilsson, C., & Karlsson, M. (2020). “The challenge of joining all the pieces together”–Nurses’ experience of palliative care for older people with advanced dementia living in residential aged care units. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 29(19-20), 3835-3846. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.15415
Schirle, L., McCabe, B. E., & Mitrani, V. (2019). The relationship between practice environment and psychological ownership in advanced practice nurses. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 41(1), 6-24. https://doi.org/10.1177/0193945918754496
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