State's Nurse Practice Act Case Study

The Nurse Practice Act of Maryland defines “Delegation” as “The act of authorizing an unlicensed individual, a certified nursing assistant (CNA), licensed practical nurse (LPN) or a medication technician to perform acts of registered nursing or licensed practical nursing (Code of Maryland Regulations 10.27.11.02)”. As a registered nurse there are many instances that delegation to an unlicensed individual will be essential in order to provide optimal care to the patient and learning how to be successful in delegation is perhaps one of the hardest things to learn. To ensure that the delegation process is done as safely and smoothly as possible, there are five (5) rights of delegation that should be followed.

Nursing is a profession that requires specialized training, knowledge, skills, and judgment to foster an independent decision making. Practicing nursing is a right granted by the state to safeguard those in need of care and efficient nursing practice is substantiated by the state Nurse Practice Act (NPA). The NPA is ratified by each state based on set guidelines and passed by the state legislature (Russell, 2012). The NPA serves as a corner stone in regulating the duties and responsibilities of the professional nurse. The NPA is founded on set guidelines, however, the states’ board of nursing (BON) has the authority to modify the laws and regulations to fit the desired practice expectations set forth (Russell, 2012). The state of Virginia (VA), where this writer currently practices, has laws and regulations that govern the nursing practice of the Registered Nurse (RN) and the Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS). The purpose of this paper is to discuss the similarities and differences between the role of the RN and the advanced practice nurse as well as to identify if the Virginia NPA identifies the role of an infection prevention nurse specialist.

The aim of this study is to provide a detailed account of the nursing care for a patient who is experiencing a breakdown in health. One aspect of their care will be discussed in relation to the nursing process. The model used to provide an individualised programme of care will be discussed and critically analysed.

Nurse Practice Act varies from state to state. Each state has different practices that one must

The procedures to establish creditability and acknowledgement to practice autonomously as a NP initially include having a Bachelor of Science Nursing (BSN) followed by a master’s degree nursing education, accreditation, licensure, credentialing, and certification (American Nursing Association, 2015). The Department of Consumers Affairs (2015) specified that “each individual must first have a California registered nurse license before obtaining the certificate and the application process includes certification by a national organization/association whose standards are equivalent to those set forth in the California Code of Regulations Section 1484” (p.1).

The Illinois State Board of Nursing is overseen by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). To have an agency that ensures the safe practice of nursing by monitoring license compliance and to take action against those that practice unsafely, protects the safety of the public. Therefore, any person who deems a nurse’s behavior or action in violation of a law or rule can file a complaint.

In order to practice as a Nurse Practitioner (NP) in Indiana you must hold a state registered nursing license complete a master 's program with certain course requirements. According to NursingLicensure.com (n.d.) there are two educational options leading to Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) recognition in Indiana: obtain a master 's degree or higher in nursing, or obtain a bachelor 's degree in nursing plus national certification. There is not a specific application to become a NP unless you are also pursuing prescriptive authority. Most laws in Indiana focus on regulating practice of nurse practitioners center around prescribing.

The Nurse Practice Act of Illinois State is 225 ILCS 65. IL offers an APN to diagnose, interpret labs and order diagnostic tests. APNs is able to provide counseling and education for prevention of illness and promotion of health. They can provide palliative and end of life care, and can supervise and delegate to task to LPNs and RNs. APNs have prescriptive authority if they have a written collaborative agreement with a physician and are limited to 30 days (IGA, 2014). In order to practice as an APN in IL one must have a current unrestricted RN license, have a masters degree approved by the State Board of Nursing in the specialty of choice and a national certification. State Board of nursing is the regulatory authority of IL APN practice, and they accept certification from ANCC or AANP or certification from specialty agencies. APNs in IL requires 50 hours of continuing education in a 2-year license renewal period. IL is one of the States that offers versatile certification opportunities for APN in addition to advocating for the full practice authority of APNs. A systemic review done by Kuethe (2013) finds it is better for an NP to manage chronic diseases such as asthma and diabetes for their better control and healthcare cost reduction as physicians do not have enough time to provide comprehensive care (p. 5).

Scope of practice is defined as the actions, tasks, procedures, etc that are permitted by law for a specific profession. The scope of practice in nursing "outlines restrictions to what the law permits, based on education, training and experience qualifications" (Anderson, 2013). The Boards of Nursing in the United States, for example the California Board of Registered Nursing, where I practice, has defined the scope of nursing practice in the California Nursing Practice Act.

The Kentucky Coalition of Nurse Practitioners and Nurse Midwives (KCNPNM) have concerns with three major medical and political issues. One of those issues is a concern about health care to the poor and uninsured. According to the KCNPNM (2014), Kentucky alone has 20% of the population at or below 100% poverty and 41% under 200% poverty in 2007. Their focus on this is driven by the fact that those uninsured suffer negatively, including premature death and illness, due to lack of medical care (KCNPNM, 2014). As a group, they make an effort to provide the underserved community with information regarding available healthcare programs (KCNPNM, 2014). They also work to encourage legislation to aid those without health insurance by reaching out and informing local and regional lawmakers of our due diligence to promote health in all populations (KCNPNM, 2014).

Nursing tasks delegated should be considered routine care for a specific patient, pose little potential harm, performed with a predictable outcome, and administered according to the plan of care. There should be an assessment of nursing needs including the frequency of nursing care and, the stability of the patient (UT Admin Code R156-31b. Nurse Practice Act Rule, 2013).

Being a former nursing student in the state of Pennsylvania I have had the Nursing Practice Act of Pennsylvania. Before this assignment I knew little of the Pennsylvania laws and absolutely none of the state of Florida. Every state has their set of laws, which is referred to the Nursing Practice Act. Every nursing student must have a copy. The nursing practice act ensures that anyone practicing does not fall below the minimum competency and does not present danger to the public, and anyone who does will be prohibited from practicing (Nurse Practice Act, 2007, p.7). Nurses have a legal liability to advocate for patients, and provide safe administration of medications, and provide quality, nursing care to patients

The Nursing Practice Act (NPA) is the body of California law that mandates the Board to set out the scope of practice and responsibilities for RNs. The Practice Act is located in the California Business and Professions Code starting with Section 2700. Regulations that specify the implementation of the law appear in the California Code of Regulations ("Board Of Nursing", n.d.). What is the NPA? How does it affect nurses? What are the requirements for getting a nursing license from the Board of Nursing? All of these are important questions for someone to ponder when considering joining the nursing

The Indiana State Board of Nursing is a body of nine selected members, comprised of a mixture of RNs and LPNs. This board listens to cases regarding university nursing programs, certified RNs fighting for their license, and individuals who are trying to obtain a nursing license. It is up to their discretion whether certain actions of a nurse are permissible or not. They also make adjustments to the curriculums or higher education schools to ensure that they are producing good quality nurses.

We hear nurse’s talk about how rewarding their profession is but what they seldom talk about is how it can be very challenging as well. There seems to be many issues existing in the nursing profession. One of the most affective issues in nursing is the decreasing number of staff nurses. With inadequate staffing, nurses are demanded to have more responsibilities thus causing more stress on the nurse. This increase in responsibility causes nurses to neglect many aspects of their patients’ care. Patient care is suffering from the shortage of nurses as there is an increase in adverse patient outcomes due to the shortage. Also, there is evidence that there is a positive relationship between the number of staff and the effectiveness of their teamwork. The more staff available the more likely nurses will work together as a team. A new act is being implemented to help with the nursing shortage. This act is called the National Nursing Shortage Reform and Patient Advocacy Act. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the issue of nursing shortage and how the National Nursing Shortage Reform and Patient Advocacy Act is an example of evidence-based practice.