Is it within the scope for an FNP to diagnose and treat uncomplicated mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and ADHD?

Much of the ongoing debate over scope-of-practice (SoP) laws that govern the practice of nurse practitioners (NPs) across the country focuses on the cost of and access to health care and on whether these laws legitimately promote patient safety or are simply anticompetitive restrictions on NPs’ ability to compete with physicians. After completing the following CE activity at Medscape https://www.medscape.org/viewarticle/506277_1 ( sign for the free account), please answer the following questions:

Should an NP who is educationally prepared as an acute care NP work in an adult primary care setting?

Is it within the scope for an FNP to diagnose and treat uncomplicated mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and ADHD?

Are there any restrictions for the FNP to treat patients with mood disorders and to prescribe them antipsychotics or SSRIs ?

Discussion Grading Criteria:Agreeing and disagreeing do not mean just voicing one’s opinion. The focus of the discussions should remain on the ideas posed in the readings. Agreeing and disagreeing mean making scholarly arguments from the literature that may support your own ideas. Faculty expects you to support your ideas from the readings or similar scholarly writing about the topic in nursing literature. Always cite your source(s).