What are the BEST and WORST States to practice as an NP?

Specialties NP Nursing Q/A

I am speaking primarily from two perspectives here:

1. The degree to which NP's are accepted, recognized, and utilized in that area/state.

2. The degree to which state law recognizes NP's, and grants them autonomy, and privledges such as the ability to write prescriptions.

Specializes in FNP.

I don't think the piece of paper is relevant, but the principle is. I can see a BOM requiring a physician to let them know in instances that they collaborate with NPs, but why would it ever be appropriate for a NP to be accountable to a board of Medicine?

I don't think the piece of paper is relevant, but the principle is. I can see a BOM requiring a physician to let them know in instances that they collaborate with NPs, but why would it ever be appropriate for a NP to be accountable to a board of Medicine?

I think the public has every right to be able to log on to the website, look up their physician and see if they have delegated Rx authority to mid-level providers. It is required of both PAs and NPs.

Specializes in Emergency, Med/Surg, Vascular Access.

Hey guys! I don't believe this link has been proffered yet (my apologies if it has!), but here's the best ranking of the states I've found:

http://www.acnpweb.org/files/public/Ranking_of_states_07.pdf

According to this ranking, TN is better off than AR? The other link, someone provided, however (http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/healthworkforce/reports/scope/scope3-5.htm#4), has AR better off than TN...any anecdotal information??

Thanks!

OKLAHOMA NP???

I am an
RN
and live here in Oklahoma City. Ive been thinking about going back to school for NP or PA. All I see around here working in the clinics is PA-C. I know there are some NPs that Ive run into who work at the health department and my OBGYN office.

I have a few friends who were in NP school here at OU yet ended up moving down to Texas after they graduated, maybe just because the pay is better elsewhere (new grad
RN
only start about $19/hr).

So what is better here in OK? NP or PA? I do not want to waste my time or money going through a program to not be able to find a job or have no respect from MD/DOs. I'm very confused which path to take.

Thanks for any input. Im also going to post this as its own topic in this forum, remove if needed.

HI I am in NP school and I live in Norman, OK. I have not experienced any of what some of the other people have posted. I think there are in general the same amount of NP jobs here as in surrounding states like Kansas, Missouri, Texas etc. Also the post that said NPs in OK make 35K is total crap, and not true at ALL. I made more than that as a new grad RN! There are definitely better states as far as prescriptive authority esp of narcs, but on the whole I'd say OK is doing well other wise, with NPs practicing independently from MDs as far as everything else goes.

Specializes in Adolescent Psych, PICU.

OKLAHOMA NP???

I am an
RN
and live here in Oklahoma City. Ive been thinking about going back to school for NP or PA. All I see around here working in the clinics is PA-C. I know there are some NPs that Ive run into who work at the health department and my OBGYN office.

I have a few friends who were in NP school here at OU yet ended up moving down to Texas after they graduated, maybe just because the pay is better elsewhere (new grad
RN
only start about $19/hr).

So what is better here in OK? NP or PA? I do not want to waste my time or money going through a program to not be able to find a job or have no respect from MD/DOs. I'm very confused which path to take.

Thanks for any input. Im also going to post this as its own topic in this forum, remove if needed.

HI I am in NP school and I live in Norman, OK. I have not experienced any of what some of the other people have posted. I think there are in general the same amount of NP jobs here as in surrounding states like Kansas, Missouri, Texas etc. Also the post that said NPs in OK make 35K is total crap, and not true at ALL. I made more than that as a new grad RN! There are definitely better states as far as prescriptive authority esp of narcs, but on the whole I'd say OK is doing well other wise, with NPs practicing independently from MDs as far as everything else goes.

Thanks for your feedback :) Its hard to get info about oklahoma NP if you dont know any (I work with mainly PAs). I just dont want to go through NP school and have trouble finding a job. Do you know if there are any problems with FNP job saturation? Have most of your classmates who have graduated been able to find jobs within a reasonable time frame?

Hey guys! I don't believe this link has been proffered yet (my apologies if it has!), but here's the best ranking of the states I've found:

http://www.acnpweb.org/files/public/Ranking_of_states_07.pdf

According to this ranking, TN is better off than AR? The other link, someone provided, however (http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/healthworkforce/reports/scope/scope3-5.htm#4), has AR better off than TN...any anecdotal information??

Thanks!

Wow that was a very interesting link. As a new psych np grad in Iowa, I knew some of the states boarding me were very restrictive compared with Iowa law. Iowa was number 3 on one list and 12 on another. Thanks for the links.

Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

This thread is not about differences between/among physicians, nurse practitioners, CRNAs, or anesthesiologists. Discussing this here is divisive and serves no useful purpose. You can start another thread or find one of MANY about these topics.

Refrain from this discussion. Posts will be deleted that are off-topic. And, points assigned if it continues.

Fair warning.

Do we need to do any updating on this thread? I'm working locums in New Mexico and it's sweet here for NP's.

Specializes in Anesthesia, Pain, Emergency Medicine.

The states that I am licensed in: You are TOTALLY independent. Do not need an physician.

Alaska

Montana

Idaho

Arizona

Washington

The states that I am licensed in: You are TOTALLY independent. Do not need an physician.

Alaska

Montana

Idaho

Arizona

Washington

Washington State? Really? Wow, I didn't know that. Thanks for the update.

Do we need to do any updating on this thread? I'm working locums in New Mexico and it's sweet here for NP's.

What part of NM do you live in, and do you like it there? NM is one state I am seriously thinking of moving to once I have my NP program done (not for a couple years...)

Thanks!

I'm in Las Cruces. Haven't had much time to get out yet but plan to this weekend. Cold at nights right now but nice during the day. Not many trees like in the Piney woods of East Texas, but it's nice to see so much sky and mountains. Not much grass either but desert is growing on me.

So, for totally independent states we have:

Alaska

Montana

Idaho

Arizona

Washington

New Mexico

Hey, I *hate* mowing the grass! LOL How cold is cold? I am from NJ, and right now it is COLD. We were down to 9 degrees F the other night. :uhoh3:

What's your area of/specialty practice? (Don't answer that if it's nosy!)

My husband said he saw the bluest sky he had ever seen when he was in NM (ABQ area).

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