The National Order of Nurses (ONI) and the National Union of Advanced Practice Nurses (UNIPA) jointly welcome the publication of the decrees, relating, on the one hand, to the list of acts and treatments that can be carried out by nurses and, on the other hand, to nursing prescriptions. The expansion of prescription possibilities, in particular, constitutes “ an important development for the nursing profession“, in search of greater autonomy. Press releases.
« These two texts constitute the culmination of the regulatory trajectory initiated by the law of June 27, 2025 on the nursing profession and continued with the publication of the decree relating to nursing activities and skills of December 24, 2025. They now give a fully operational scope to the new definition of nursing practice and reflect the recognition of the clinical expertise and autonomy of nurses.“, quickly reacted the National Order of Nurses after the publication, on June 27 in the Official Journal, of the order relating to the list of nursing acts and care and the order relating to nursing prescription. “ Nursing prescription is part of a response to the needs of patients to improve their overall care and strengthen the collective effectiveness of the health system. These texts are a step forward for a stronger, fairer and more accessible health system, provided that the necessary resources are effectively allocated and that each actor fully assumes their responsibilities in their implementation.“, commented Alain Desbouchages, president of the National Order of Nurses.
Strengthening the own role
Among the major developments is the expansion of direct access care within the framework of the specific nursing role. « This is particularly the case with recognition of nursing consultation, advanced wound management or even standardized screening and patient referral“, recalled the ONI.
For the representative body of nurses, the proper role constitutes “ the heart of nursing autonomy“. It covers “ the ability of nurses to assess a situation, identify the patient’s needs, make a nursing diagnosis, coordinate interventions and organize care« .
Nursing prescription
The decree relating to nursing prescription sets the list of health products and additional examinations that nurses may prescribe as part of their practice.
« It allows nurses to prescribe certain biological assessments, to strengthen the care of people suffering from chronic pathologies thanks to more rapid mobilization of the necessary examinations, to contribute to the management of pain by the prescription of certain analgesics, and to promote maintenance at home by the prescription and renewal of certain medical devices. It also strengthens access to sexual health care, particularly through the prescription of contraceptives and screening for certain sexually transmitted infections.« .
For the National Order of Nurses, these new skills pursue the same objective: “ enable nurses to fully mobilize their skills for the benefit of patients and access to care“. They will contribute in particular to “ reduce treatment times and strengthen prevention« . The Order calls for these new responsibilities “ are accompanied by the means necessary for their appropriation by professionals and healthcare organizations“. Finally, the Order specifies that it “ will pay attention to regular updating of these decrees in order to support the evolution of nursing practices and to guarantee the permanent adequacy of the regulatory framework to innovations and realities on the ground« .
UNIPA calls for the updating of texts applicable to advanced practice nurses
For its part, UNIPA welcomes a “ advanced” , Who ” reflects a recognition of nursing skills and an adaptation of the regulatory framework to the needs of the field“. This publication “ will make it possible to include regulation on the consistency of texts governing advanced practice, particularly during the monitoring committee“, details the union in a press release. “ Indeed, different developments must be integrated into the work in progress: certain IPA prescriptions – particularly analgesics – are subject to medical consultation. This situation must be rectified to meet the expected gradation of skills. the decree modifies the regulatory reference framework for nursing prescriptions. A necessary update of the texts applicable to IPAs will make it possible to rely on the new reference texts. This regulatory update will be an opportunity to strengthen the consistency of the gradation of care in the advanced practice framework with the developments recognized today throughout the nursing profession. UNIPA impatiently awaits the follow-up that will be given to these developments and will continue to support these developments, to allow APNs to fully exercise their skills, and clarity of pathways for the benefit of patients and access to care.« .
To find out more:
• Order of June 26, 2026 establishing the list of acts and treatments that can be carried out by state-certified nurses, JORF n°0149 of June 27, 2026
• Order of June 26, 2026 establishing the list of health products and additional examinations that state-certified nurses are authorized to prescribe or renew, JORF n°0149 of June 27, 2026
