Prescribing as an NP: You Don’t Have to Know Everything to Start

Prescribing can feel like one of the biggest hurdles when you first become a nurse practitioner. You’ve spent years in nursing roles where medication decisions were overseen by someone else—now, suddenly, it’s all on you. That shift in responsibility can feel huge, and honestly, scary. But here’s the truth: you don’t need to be perfect, and you definitely don’t need to know everything. You just need a strong foundation, a few reliable tools, and the willingness to keep learning as you go.

Start by building your prescribing toolkit. Get familiar with trusted resources like Epocrates, UpToDate, Prescriber’s Letter, and your state’s Board of Nursing guidelines. Create simple protocols or decision trees for the conditions you treat most often. Bookmark a few go-to references and get used to looking things up—even experienced NPs do this daily. If you’re in an integrative or functional setting, define how medications fit into your holistic care approach. You get to choose how you prescribe.

Prescribing became much more comfortable for me when I gave myself permission to be thoughtful instead of fast. I paused. I asked questions. I consulted mentors. I kept the patient at the center of every decision. With time, I developed systems that allowed me to be both confident and cautious—and the more I practiced, the more natural it became.

If you’re holding off on launching your practice or avoiding certain patients because prescribing makes you nervous, you’re not alone. But you are more than capable—and you don’t have to figure it out on your own.

Explore my site to learn more about how I support new and growing NPs, and reach out if you have any questions or would like to work with me. I’d love to help you make prescribing feel like a strength instead of a stressor.