Nurse practitioners; authorize certain to sign physician orders for sustaining treatment (POST).

HB 1030 allows nurse practitioners primarily responsible for a patient's care to sign Physician Orders for Sustaining Treatment (POST) forms, which direct end-of-life care decisions like CPR, treatment limits, antibiotics, and nutrition. Previously, only physicians could sign these forms, but this bill expands that authority to qualified nurse practitioners. The POST form standardizes patient preferences for critical care scenarios (e.g., "full treatment," "limited interventions," or "comfort measures") and must be reviewed annually. This change directly affects patients receiving end-of-life care, their families, and healthcare teams in Mississippi, streamlining decision-making for nurse practitioners managing patient care. The bill died in committee in February 2026.