#2025-581Law No. 2025-581 on the Nursing Profession
AI-generated summary for informational purposes only. Not legal advice. See the original source for the authoritative text.
Law No. 2025-581 amends the French public health code to redefine the roles and responsibilities of nurses. It allows nurses to prescribe health products and conduct nursing consultations while specifying their professional missions, such as preventive and curative care, education, and participation in public health initiatives. The law also introduces provisions for evaluating the competencies of nurses who have interrupted their practice, promoting a more autonomous nursing practice within the healthcare system.
AI-generated summary. May contain errors. Refer to official sources for legal decisions.
Key Changes
- Nurses are authorized to prescribe health products and conduct nursing consultations.
- New provisions establish the competencies needed for nurses after a break in practice.
- A pilot program allows nurses to take direct care of patients under specific conditions.
Obligations
What this law requires
Nurses must inform the departmental nursing council of their professional residence when interrupting their activity for a duration exceeding a threshold defined by decree, not to exceed three years.
Nurses who have interrupted their activity for more than six years and wish to resume practice must undergo a professional competency evaluation before resuming activity.
Nurses must exercise their profession in respect of the professional code of conduct (code de déontologie) and within the framework of their own role or on prescription and in coordination with other healthcare professionals.
When nurses conduct direct patient care for acts outside their own role during the experimental period, they must send a written report to the treating physician and record it in the patient's shared medical file.
The health ministers and social security ministers must establish and publish a list of health products and complementary examinations that nurses may prescribe, with updates required at least every three years, following consultation with the Haute Autorité de santé and Académie nationale de médecine.