Nurse Practitioner Supervision

In the state of Indiana, the law requires physician supervision of nurse practitioner's prescribing medications. This supervision is something that will serve as a barrier to those practicing, acting as a hindrance to autonomy. Yee, Boukus, Cross and Samuel (2013) found that the level of supervision was dependent on factors such as the culture and traits of the supervising physician (p. 2). However, they also found that delegation from physician to nurse practitioner was more prevalent in practices where supervision was required by law (Yee, Boukus, Cross, & Samuel, 2013, p. 2).

The level of oversight has also had an adverse impact on patients. With regulations requiring supervision, nurse practitioners are less likely to practice in rural areas or provide services for the underserved populations due to the distance from supervising physician (Yee et al., 2013, p. 3). Patients in Indiana might also encounter delays when needing medications prescribed or refilled due to the supervision laws requiring oversight of …show more content…
It is a nurse practitioners responsibility to practice using proper judgment based on training and knowledge. Services that are not appropriate or recommended should be avoided. Nurse practitioners should be cognizant of the services that will be reimbursed in their state, those that require supervision, and awareness of patients that would be more financially beneficial to be cared for by a physician.

Nurse practitioners continuing to provide high-quality care will be of utmost importance in aiding the reform of the current laws that deter autonomy and full reimbursement of nurse practitioners. Nurse practitioners need to be aware of the changes that their peers are attempting to make and support them in their efforts. We must all advocate for change, especially the changes that will be of benefit to our