Colorado Nurse Practitioner Practice Environment
Describe the regulatory environment for nurse practitioners in Colorado.
The regulatory environment for nurse practitioners in Colorado is full practice and nurse practitioners are
regulated by the Colorado Board of Nursing (American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 2022). Nurse
practitioners are allowed to assess, diagnose, plan care, initiate and manage treatments, and evaluate
patient responses to treatment without needing a collaborative agreement with a physician or on-site
supervision from a physician (American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 2022). In addition, nurse
practitioners are allowed to prescribe medications and controlled substances without limitations after
completing 750 hours of prescribing mentorship under a physician or nurse practitioner with full
prescriptive authority (American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 2022). Due to the regulatory
environment in Colorado, nurse practitioners are allowed to open and operate their own private practice
if they choose to do so (American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 2022).
What are the eligibility requirements to apply for licensure as a nurse practitioner in Colorado?
The eligibility requirements to apply for licensure as a nurse practitioner in the state of Colorado are as
follows: possess a registered nurse (RN) license in good standing and equivalent to the one for which one
is applying in another state or jurisdiction, completion of a graduate degree program in a chosen nurse
practitioner specialty from an accredited educational institution, and register for/pass the certification
exam for the chosen nurse practitioner specialty (American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 2022).
What is the application process for licensure as a nurse practitioner in Colorado?
Go to https://dpo.colorado.gov/Nursing/APNApplications, select Advanced Practice Registration – New
Application (Apply Online) option, select Apply for a New License option, select Nursing – Colorado RN
Advanced Practice & Prescriptive Authority Applications option, select Nurse Practitioner – APN option
and then click Start (Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, 2023).
What is Colorado’s Board of Nursing website?
https://dpo.colorado.gov/Nursing
What is the scope of practice for nurse practitioners in Colorado?
Nurse practitioners are recognized in state policy as primary care providers (National Conference of State
Legislatures, 2023). Also, nurse practitioners must practice within a specific population focus (adult,
family, mental health, pediatric, neonatal, women’s health, etc.) (National Conference of State
Legislatures, 2023).
What items of patient care are nurse practitioners in Colorado allowed to provide their signature for?
Colorado nurse practitioners are authorized to do the following: refer to physical therapy, provide proof
of disability for parking permits, sign Do Not Resuscitate orders, and sign Medical Order Scope of
Treatment (MOST) forms (American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 2022). On the other hand, nurse
practitioners in Colorado are not currently authorized to sign death certificates (American Association of
Nurse Practitioners, 2022).
