What is a Colorado NP's scope of practice?

A Colorado NP’s scope of practice is an expanded scope of professional nursing within a Board-approved role and population focus, and NPs generally practice independently in this full-practice state¹². This scope includes diagnosing and treating health conditions and may include prescribing medications when authorized by the Board³⁶⁷.

Within the practice of professional nursing, NPs deliver independent and collaborative care across settings, performing health promotion, disease prevention, and the diagnosis and treatment of conditions using specialized knowledge and judgment³. Services include evaluating health status, health teaching and counseling, providing supportive and restorative therapies, executing delegated medical functions, making referrals, and reviewing and monitoring treatment plans⁴.

NPs must practice according to national professional nursing standards and maintain a safe mechanism for consultation or collaboration with, or referral to, physicians and other providers when appropriate⁵. Their practice may also encompass medical-aesthetic services that are within NP scope and competency, as Rule 800’s delegation requirements apply to unlicensed providers and do not restrict licensed APRNs⁸.