Study: Full practice authority states better serve marginalized communities

States allowing full practice authority for nurse practitioners have NP workforces that are more diverse and more racially and ethnically align with the state’s overall population, according to a study. Published in Policy, Politics & Nursing Practice, the study found Black and Asian NPs who work in states with full practice authority serve more Black Medicare beneficiaries. “Full practice authority is a costless way of helping communities of color address health care access disparities,” said study co-author Alicia Plemmons, PhD, an assistant professor at West Virginia University, Morgantown. (HealthLeaders Media article; 1/27/23)