Nurse Practice Act: Implications for Practice and Employment - Prof. Lim, Essays (university) of Education Planning And Management

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Running head: THE NURSE PRACTICE ACT The Nurse Practice Act Darlington Nwite Azusa Pacific University UNRS 403 Leadership and Management in Professional Practice Joanne Lim, MSN-FNP, CCHP June 25, 2019

THE NURSE PRACTICE ACT

The Nurse Practice Act In 1903, North Carolina was the first state to enact Nurse Practice Act (NPA). The Nurse Practice Act is an arrangement of laws that shield people in general from damage. Nurses have been at the forefront of healing in America since the Civil war era. The American nursing history in the 1800s, there was no official title or accreditation for nurses until the early 1900s. This lack of certification and formal training led to the birth of the Nurse Practice Act which established educational requirements needed and regulation in nursing. This paper will focus on the explanation of the nurse practice act and hospital policies, the differences and the impact of the practice. Explanation Moreover, the Nurse Practice Act in the state of California is a nursing profession that requires specialized training, skills, judgment, and knowledge to promote independent decision making. The legislature of each of the states enacted the statute of the Nurse Practice Act (Marquis & Huston, 2017). The act delineates the legal scope of the practice of nursing within the geographic boundaries of the jurisdiction. The purpose of the act is to protect the public. As cited in Kellerman (2018), the state's duty to protect those who receive nursing care is the basis for a nursing license. Safe, competent nursing practice is grounded in the law as written in the state nurse practice act (NPA) and the state rules or regulations. Safe, competent nursing practice is granted in the law as written in the state nurse practice act and the state rules or regulations. The main purpose of hospital policy and procedures policy is to set a general plan of action to use as a guide to some desired outcomes and also as a fundamental guideline to help decisions making. And also, the reason for the healthcare policy and procedures is to communicate to the employees the desired outcomes of the organization.

THE NURSE PRACTICE ACT

Conversely, the scope of employment can be imposing more restrictions than the scope of the nurse practice act. This can happen to any organization when they decided to not allow a nurse to place an intraosseous catheter despite the fact that the nurse practice act does permit for such placement in the scope of practice laws. Again, in order for nurses to better understand and clarify the nursing role for procedures and tasks assigned to the nurses, the National Council of State Boards, who oversees the boards of nursing, will issue the scope of practice decision- making framework tool that nurses can employ in order to determine nursing practice responsibilities. The practice of nursing requires skill, knowledge and autonomous decision- making skills. According to Brozek (2010), there will be some areas within the role of the nurse that requires more clarity and understanding to ensure the nurse is working within their scope of practice as well as their scope of employment. Nurses are expected to know the nurse practice act within the state in which they are practice. Nurses should be familiar with their written job description policies and procedures in order to ensure that they are working within their full scope of practice. It is important that the nurses know the laws which govern their state where they practice for them to function with the scope of the nurse practice act. Nurses lack knowledge of the law is not an excuse and it is their responsibility to know the laws for their state. The law requires nurses who practice nursing in the state of California to be competent, caring, responsible and maintain a standard of care that is satisfactory under the nurse practice act. Sometimes legal aspects of nursing may affect the manner that care may be delivered to the patients.

THE NURSE PRACTICE ACT

Lastly, it is important that nurses are aware of the legal implications when providing care to their patients. In order for the nurses to minimize the risk of being sued for malpractice, they must know and follow their states nurse practice act and adhere to their company’s policy as well as procedures. Conclusion Finally, the nurse practice act defines the scope as it is written in the business and professional code and lays out a scope of practice in order to direct a nurse at any level to provide the best possible care while staying within their scope of practice. By following the providing professional nursing skills and nurse practice act, as nurses, we are expected to be able to provide care and help their patients to the best of their knowledge and ability while staying in the scope that their license allows. This will ensure that the public is protected from unprincipled, incompetent and immoral practitioners. The nurse practice act offers reassurance to the public that the licensed nurse is competent to provide care in a safe, provide standards, prudent manner and a means to discipline should the licensed nurse violate the standards. As nurses, we need to remember, that the nursing field is a great avenue of opportunity to provide effective nursing care to the patients in one's community. Although there is an aspect of the nursing procedures and policy that can be very challenging, it is very important for nurses to remember that the ultimate goal is to perform their duties and provide quality of care to the patients within their scope of practice.