New Decree Empowers French Nurses with Expanded Roles and Prescription Rights

A groundbreaking decree published on December 26, 2025, enacts a significant expansion of nurses' responsibilities within the French healthcare system, marking a major shift from a physician-centric model to one where nurses play a central role. Under the new law, which affects around 640,000 state-certified nurses, they are now authorized to conduct nursing consultations, perform clinical assessments, and establish personalized care plans without prior physician prescriptions.

For the first time, nurses can directly manage aspects of patient care, including treating minor wounds and burns. They also gain the authority to prescribe certain health products and complementary examinations, though the list of prescribable items remains limited. Additionally, they can administer mandatory vaccinations from age 11 without a prescription and flu and COVID vaccines starting from age 5, alongside conducting tests for some sexually transmitted infections.

Beyond clinical duties, nurses are now formally recognized for their roles in identifying abuse or psychological distress, providing therapeutic education, and assessing the autonomy of elderly patients. The decree also allows them to delegate some tasks to nursing assistants or childcare auxiliaries, further extending their professional scope. This new framework transforms nurses from mere executors of medical orders to autonomous healthcare professionals with enhanced patient management capabilities.

This legal change aims to bolster nurse autonomy, refine patient care pathways, and better respond to evolving healthcare needs across France. According to Libération, this reform impacts some 640,000 healthcare workers, representing a fundamental evolution in their status and responsibilities. Le Figaro underscores that this decree represents a paradigm shift, giving nurses unprecedented ability to initiate and manage care independently within multiple domains including preventive, educational, curative, and relational care.

The reform thus equips nurses with tools and authority to undertake a broader scope of clinical functions and prescriptions, signaling a transformative step in French healthcare delivery.