A national perspective on prescriptive authority for advanced practice psychiatric nurses

Advanced practice psychiatric nurses (APPNs) are expanding their roles to include prescriptive authority. This expanded role provides new opportunities to define APPNs as autonomous mental health providers who can offer comprehensive services that integrate psychotherapies and psychopharmacological interventions. Unfortunately, these opportunities are often restricted by state statutes and rules regulating prescriptive authority. This article describes prescriptive authority for APPNs, state by state, and discusses major issues that must be addressed to ensure that APPNs have the opportunities to practice consistent with their educational and clinical qualifications.