PMHNP · Florida
Supervision Agreement for Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners in Florida
Yes, a written supervising-physician agreement is required. Florida does not name a specific instrument.
Florida's 2020 autonomous-practice law covers only primary-care NP scope — psychiatric-mental-health practice is excluded entirely. Three bills to extend autonomy to PMHNPs (2024, 2025, 2026) all died in committee, most recently March 13, 2026. A PMHNP may separately register as an autonomous primary-care NP, but that isn't psychiatric practice.
What the supervision must look like
The rules the physician relationship has to follow. Each fact comes from the statute or board rule listed under sources.
Proximity
PMHNP providing psychiatric-mental-health treatment, under established protocol with a psychiatrist: No proximity requirement
Same as `np` — no codified mileage/radius or on-site standard; the former protocol-standards rule (R. 64B9-4.010) was repealed.
Supervision ratio
Not codified — no cap on file
Chart review
Not codified — left to the agreement
Meeting cadence
As needed, in person or via telehealth
Not fixed by statute or rule — the Board of Nursing's official protocol template (floridasnursing.gov/forms/aprn-protocol-format.pdf) uses only generic language: parties 'share equally in the responsibility for reviewing treatment protocols as needed,' with the physician 'available by telephone or by other communication device when not physically available.' Actual cadence is whatever the individual protocol specifies.
Prescriptive authority
Covered by the practice agreement · controlled substances permitted
The §394.455 'psychiatric nurse' definition is a specific gate — not every PMHNP-titled provider necessarily meets it; confirm the 1-year post-master's supervised-experience requirement is satisfied before relying on the Schedule II exception. (Secondary sources, including two Florida House staff bill analyses, say 'two years' — the primary statute text controls at 1 year.)
Written agreement
Required
Unconditional for psychiatric-mental-health treatment specifically — requires an established protocol with a psychiatrist (§464.012, cross-referenced with §394.455's 'psychiatric nurse' definition). Registering as an autonomous primary-care NP under §464.0123 doesn't reach psychiatric-scope practice at all.
Practice ownership (corporate practice of medicine)
Non-licensee ownership permitted — Same framework as `np` — §400.9905(4)(g)'s Health Care Clinic Act exemption applies identically since PMHNP is an APRN specialty certification under §464.012, not a separately licensed category.
Legal sources for these rules (6)
- Fla. Stat. § 464.012 — APRN protocol, prescriptive authority (psychiatric nurse carve-out)
- Fla. Stat. § 464.0123 — Autonomous practice by an APRN (no PMHNP carve-out)
- Fla. Stat. § 394.455 — Florida Mental Health Act, 'psychiatric nurse' definition
- H.B. 301 / S.B. 138 (2026) — PMHNP autonomous practice, died in Senate Rules March 13, 2026
- H.B. 883 / S.B. 758 (2025) — PMHNP autonomous practice, died
- H.B. 771 (2024) — PMHNP autonomous practice, died
What a supervising physician costs here
Typical monthly cost in Florida
$500 – $650
Estimate for one Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. This state's rules add a restrictive-tier premium.
About Florida's rules
Florida's 2020 autonomous-practice law (§464.0123, ≥3,000 supervised hours + coursework) creates a real independence pathway for NP and CNM — but excludes PMHNP, CRNA, and CNS entirely; CRNA autonomy bills have died three sessions running (2024-2026). Florida has no corporate-practice-of-medicine doctrine (secondary-source consensus) — entity ownership instead turns on the Health Care Clinic Act's §400.9905 exemption mechanics. Supervision ratio/chart-review/meeting-cadence are largely uncodified; PA's 10-supervisee cap is the exception.
Other clinicians in Florida: see the state overview.