Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed into law a bill that allows nurse practitioners to practice without holding contracts with physicians, according to a March 16 American Association of Nurse Practitioners news release.
The state is the 27th to adopt full NP practice authority, which allows practitioners to evaluate and diagnose patients, order and interpret diagnostic tests, and initiate and manage treatments under the authority of the state board of nursing.
"Utah joins an expanding list of states acting to retire outdated laws that have needlessly constrained their health care workforce and limited patient access to care," Jon Fanning, CEO of AANP, said in the release. "Modernizing licensure laws is a no-cost, no-delay solution to strengthening the health of the nation. Decades of research show that states with Full Practice Authority are better positioned to improve access to care, grow their workforce and address health care disparities, while delivering quality health outcomes for patients. We look forward to more states following suit."