Prescriptive Authority

[Labellezza]

Good morning,

I am a new grad in Louisiana, and I have been turned down from several jobs, because I don't have prescriptive authority. I understand that I need a collaborative agreement with a physician in order to be granted PA, but am I supposed to take an add out on craigslist? Perhaps go to a dating site and say I am seeking friendship and PA privileges..nothing serious, lol. I am confused about how I am supposed to get PA, if I haven't worked yet. Also, if I get a job with a physician and get PA, if I leave that position, do I lose my PA? When I apply to other jobs, I won't have it again? Any insight would appreciated. ??

[203bravo, MSN, APRN]

Louisiana requires new grad aprns to have 500 hours in practice prior to approving prescriptive authority. Most likely you are facing practices that are not willing to hire you for the 500 hours prior to you being able to write orders or prescribe for the patients you see. That’s tough.

Prescriptive authority is specific to both a physician collaboration agreement and a practice site. So if you are no longer employed by a practice site listed with the board of nursing then you would no longer have prescriptive authority. You would simply need to update the board with a new site and/or even collaborateive agreement to reinstate the prescriptive authority.

[djmatte, ADN, MSN, RN, NP]

I would be getting the heck out of that state with those limitations.

[Labellezza]

Thank you for your responses. I clarified with the BON that clinical hours obtained in school would count for those 500 hours. I originally thought the same thing about having to practice first.

[203bravo, MSN, APRN]

Then employers should know this and know that you can’t get prescriptive authority until you submit their practice site and physician agreement to the board. In fact no new hire to their practice can.

[Labellezza]

Thank you 203bravo. That is what I am trying to clarify. I was thinking PA was site specific, but just wasn't sure. When I received a few responses saying " you don't have PA ", I kept thinking, well don't you have a physician on board to have an agreement with????