Peer Responses
Response to Nicole Marie Galloway (Colorado)
Hello,
Thank you for your clear breakdown of Colorado’s full practice authority (FPA) for nurse practitioners (NPs). I appreciate how you highlighted the additional step for obtaining prescriptive authority. This differs from my state, Minnesota, where prescriptive authority is included once full licensure is granted post-transition to practice: Peer Responses.
Interestingly, Colorado requires a separate application even though it also falls under an FPA state, which emphasizes how institutional processes can differ even when regulatory classifications are similar. This reflects the lingering inconsistencies that the APRN Consensus Model seeks to address across states (Zhang & Patel, 2023).
I also noticed both of our states allow prescribing Schedule II–V drugs, which increases access to needed treatment for patients with complex conditions. One way to advocate for further simplification would be to push for combined licensure and prescriptive applications at the state level. This would streamline processes and encourage more NPs to practice independently.
References
Zhang, P., & Patel, P. (2023, November 13). Practitioners and prescriptive authority. StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK574557/
Response to Kelsey Blissett (Arkansas)
Hello,
Great work with your post. Your discussion on Arkansas’ reduced practice environment was enlightening, especially the requirement for 6,240 supervised hours before applying for full practice authority. That’s a significant barrier compared to my state, Minnesota, which requires only 2,080 hours in a transition-to-practice period before granting independent practice. This difference directly impacts access to care, particularly in rural or underserved communities.
Collaborative practice agreements (CPAs) can sometimes make it more complicated for providers. Your point that PMHNPs must handle numerous rules, laws, and organizational limits, regardless of their certifications, is well made. As a result of these problems, some APRNs are not willing to go to high-need locations, and some people do not receive needed care promptly.
Increasing stakeholder awareness and providing evidence of APRN effectiveness and safety can build momentum for policy change. Arkansas advocacy could target legislative change to decrease the transition requirement and achieve consistency with national FPA standards, as endorsed by the National Academy of Medicine’s APRN guidelines (DePriest et al., 2020). Thanks for your detailed analysis!
References
DePriest, K., D’Aoust, R., Samuel, L., Commodore-Mensah, Y., Hanson, G., & Slade, E. P. (2020). Nurse practitioners’ workforce outcomes under implementation of full practice authority. Nursing Outlook, 68(4), 459–467. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2020.05.008
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Question 
May 27 9:24pm
Manage Discussion by Nicole Marie Galloway
Reply from Nicole Marie Galloway
Discussion Week 1
Colorado is a full practice state, meaning that nurse practitioners can operate autonomously without the need for physician involvement or oversight. This enables nurse practitioners to diagnose, treat, and prescribe medications without restrictions from physician supervision (American Association of Nurse Practitioners [AANP], n.d.).
In Colorado, obtaining a graduate degree in an advanced practice position, obtaining national certification from an authorized certifying organization, and maintaining a current registered nurse license are the prerequisites for becoming an advanced practice registered nurse (NursingLicensure.org, n.d.).
Subsequently, one must submit an application for advanced practice registration to the Colorado Board of Nursing. The application procedure entails submitting an online Advanced Practice Registration application, providing evidence of education and certification, and subsequently applying separately for prescriptive authority through a separate application process (Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies [DORA], 2025b).
Colorado’s board of nursing website is the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies: Division of Professions and Occupations, or dpo.colorado.gove/nursing (Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, 2025d).
Colorado defines the scope of practice for Nurse Practitioners (NPs) as independent, allowing them to execute both nursing and medical activities without the necessity of physician oversight. Nonetheless, separate healthcare institutions may establish their own regulations necessitating physician participation (Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, 2025c). Due to Colorado’s provision of full practice authority, nurse practitioners do not need formal practice agreements with physicians. Nonetheless, healthcare organizations may own internal regulations that govern collaboration (AANP, n.d.).
The process of obtaining a DEA license for an NP in Colorado includes holding an active professional license, completing a DEA form 224 registration, paying the application fee, and then waiting for verification and processing (U.S. Department of Justice and Drug Enforcement Administration, n.d.).
Colorado has a prescription drug monitoring program that serves as an effective instrument for prescribers and dispensers to mitigate prescription medication misuse, abuse, and diversion (Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies [DORA Colorado], 2025a).
In Colorado, NPs can prescribe controlled substances if they obtain prescriptive authority. They must complete specific education requirements and apply for DEA registration. They are authorized to prescribe Schedule II-V drugs (Colorado Public Law, 2025).
It is interesting that Colorado regulations mandate a distinct application for prescriptive authority. In contrast to several jurisdictions that incorporate prescriptive authority into APRN licensing, Colorado mandates an additional procedure for NPs to get comprehensive prescription privileges (DORA, 2025b).
References
American Association of Nurse Practitioners. (n.d.). Information and resources for colorado NPs. 40 AANP. Retrieved May 27, 2025, from https://www.aanp.org/advocacy/coloradoLinks to an external site.
Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies. (2025a). About the prescription drug monitoring program. DORA Colorado. Retrieved May 27, 2025, from dpo.colordo.gov/PDMP
Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies. (2025b). Board of nursing: advanced practice applications and forms documents. DORA Colorado. Retrieved May 27, 2025, from https://dpo.colorado.gov/Nursing/APNApplicationsLinks to an external site.
Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies. (2025c). Board of nursing: practice laws and acts. DORA Colorado. https://dpo.colorado.gov/Nursing/LawsLinks to an external site.
Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies. (2025d). Welcome to the nursing homepage. DORA Colorado. Retrieved May 27, 2025, from dpo.colorado.gov/nursing
Colorado Public Law. (2025). Section 12-255-112: Prescriptive authority. Retrieved May 27, 2025, from https://colorado.public.law/statutes/crs_12-255-112Links to an external site.
NursingLicensure.org. (n.d.). Advanced practice nurse registration requirements in colorado. NurseLicensure.org. Retrieved May 27, 2025, from https://www.nursinglicensure.org/np-state/colorado-nurse-practitioner/Links to an external site.
U.S. Department of Justice and Drug Enforcement Administration. (n.d.). Registration applications, tools and resources. Diversion Control Division. https://deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drugreg/registration.htmlLinks to an external site.
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Peer Responses
KB
May 27 1:46pm
Manage Discussion by Kelsey Blissett
Reply from Kelsey Blissett
Main Post
Introduction
Becoming a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP-BC) is a different process, depending on the state. Requirements may differ from state to state, and PMHNPs need to know if they practice in a full, reduced, or restricted practice state. The purpose of this discussion is to examine the certification and licensure procedure in the state of Arkansas, how Arkansas defines the scope of practice of a nurse practitioner, and what kind of prescriptive authority PMHNPs have in Arkansas.
Applying for Licensure in Arkansas
The Arkansas State Board of Nursing has provided a checklist for new graduate APRNS to apply for licensure. This checklist can be found on their website at www.healthy.arkansas.gov. APRNs must create a Nurse Portal account and submit an application through the Arkansas Nurse Portal (Arkansas Department of Health, n.d.).
Throughout the application process, the applicant must read and answer all eligibility questions, upload any required documents, and pay the application fee (Arkansas Department of Health, n.d.). Once the application is submitted, applicants must complete a background check, which can take 2-6 weeks to complete (Arkansas Department of Health, n.d.).
Next, applicants must send their official transcripts and national certification to the Arkansas State Board of Nursing or send them electronically to Ellen Harwell, the licensing coordinator for advanced practice nurses (Arkansas Department of Health, n.d.). Applicants must hold an active RN license and have practiced as an RN for at least 2,000 hours, for which verification can be submitted using a form filled out by a former employer (Arkansas Department of Health, n.d.).
Once all of the above items have been received, the applicant will receive notice through the Nurse Portal that their license has been issued (Arkansas Department of Health, n.d.). After the license has been issued, the APRN can begin practicing and have the option to apply for prescriptive authority (Arkansas Department of Health, n.d.).
Scope of Practice
In Arkansas, the scope of practice of APRNs can be found in chapter four of the Arkansas State Board of Nursing Rules (Arkansas State Legislature, n.d.).
It is defined in AR Code § 17-87-102 (2024), which states, “‘Practice of advanced practice registered nursing’ means the delivery of healthcare services for compensation by a professional nurse who has gained additional knowledge and skills through successful completion of an organized program of nursing education that certifies nurses for advanced practice roles as certified nurse practitioners, certified registered nurse anesthetists, certified nurse midwives, and clinical nurse specialists” (Arkansas State Legislature, n.d.).
It states that APRNs can provide health care for which they have achieved the appropriate levels of education and maintain competence.
Collaborative Practice Agreements, DEA registration, and Prescription Monitoring
To gain prescriptive authority in Arkansas, APRNs must submit an application including a collaborative practice agreement and quality assurance plan (Arkansas Department of Health, n.d.). APRNs with prescriptive authority must have a collaborative practice agreement (CPA) on file with the Board of Nursing (Arkansas Department of Health, n.d.).
The CPA must meet specific criteria, including the collaborative physician having a current AR license to practice medicine and having the same specialty as the APRN, having a method of management, plans for coverage of patients in the emergency absence of the APRN or physician, and a quality assurance plan (Arkansas Department of Health, n.d.).
Once prescriptive authority has been approved and a request has been submitted for controlled substance prescribing, the APRN needs to apply for Drug Enforcement Administration registration before being able to prescribe controlled substances (Arkansas Department of Health, n.d.).
APRNs who prescribe controlled substances or have a DEA registration are required to be registered with the Arkansas Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) (Arkansas Department of Health, n.d.). As a reduced practice state, APRNs in the state of Arkansas are only permitted to prescribe schedule III-V controlled substances (American Medical Association, 2017).
Surprises from the Research
Something new I learned from my research is the requirements for applying for full independent practice in Arkansas. After practicing for a minimum of 6,240 hours (or three years) under a collaborative practice agreement, APRNs in Arkansas are eligible to apply for full independent practice.
Required documents include two letters of recommendation, a notarized practice hours affidavit signed by the collaborating physician, evidence of five continuing education hours in advanced pharmacology within the prior two years, and a resume showing work as an APRN (Arkansas State Board of Nursing, n.d.).
Conclusion
Becoming a practicing PMHNP requires more than certification and licensure. PMHNPs must know the specific requirements for their state for applying for licensure and how their state defines the APRN’s scope of practice. It is also essential to understand what actions are required for prescribing medications, such as entering a collaborative practice, registering with the DEA, and registering with a PDMP.
References
American Medical Association. (2017). State law chart: Nurse practitioner prescriptive authority. https://www.ama-assn.org/sites/ama-assn.org/files/corp/media-browser/specialty%20group/arc/ama-chart-np-prescriptive-authority.pdfLinks to an external site.
Arkansas Department of Health. (n.d.). APRN initial application checklist. https://healthy.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/APRN.InitialChecklist-4.3.25.pdfLinks to an external site.
Arkansas State Board of Nursing. (n.d.). Advanced practice information. Arkansas Department of Health. https://healthy.arkansas.gov/boards-commissions/boards/nursing-arkansas-state-board/advanced-practice/Links to an external site.
Arkansas State Legislature. (n.d.). Chapter four: Advanced practice registered nurse. https://arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FAssembly%2FMeeting+Attachments%2F040%2F26607%2FD.7.a+DOH+ASBN+Chapter+4+Advanced+Practice+Registered+Nurse+and+Relevant+Acts.pdfLinks to an external site.
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