Discussion: Professional Nursing and State-Level Regulations
Boards of Nursing (BONs) exist in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands. Similar entities may also exist for different regions. The mission of BONs is the protection of the public through the regulation of nursing practice. BONs put into practice state/region regulations for nurses that, among other things, lay out the requirements for licensure and define the scope of nursing practice in that state/region.
It can be a valuable exercise to compare regulations among various state/regional boards of nursing. Doing so can help share insights that could be useful should there be future changes in a state/region. In addition, nurses may find the need to be licensed in multiple states or regions.
To Prepare:
- Review the Resources and reflect on the mission of state/regional boards of nursing as the protection of the public through the regulation of nursing practice.
- Consider how key regulations may impact nursing practice.
- Review key regulations for nursing practice of your state’s/region’s board of nursing and those of at least one other state/region and select at least two APRN regulations to focus on for this Discussion..
Post a comparison of at least two APRN board of nursing regulations in your state/region with those of at least one other state/region. Describe how they may differ. Be specific and provide examples. Then, explain how the regulations you selected may apply to Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) who have legal authority to practice within the full scope of their education and experience. Provide at least one example of how APRNs may adhere to the two regulations you selected.
Required Readings
Milstead, J. A., & Short, N. M. (2019). Health policy and politics: A nurse’s guide (6th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
- Chapter 4, “Government Response: Regulation” (pp. 57–84)
National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). (n.d.). Retrieved September 20, 2018, from https://www.ncsbn.org/index.htm
Solution:
Discussion Professional Nursing and State-Level Regulations
My state is Florida. In my state, APRN applications must have an active Florida RN license or an active multistate RN license from a different jurisdiction, a master’s or post-masters degree certification in a nursing specialty area, and a national APRN certification from an approved Board of nursing specialty (FLBON, 2021). As for the scope of practice, NP in FL is allowed to practice autonomously in primary care including general pediatrics, family medicine, and general internal medicine. For prescriptive authority, an NP is allowed to prescribe any drug and schedules II to V of controlled substance once they obtain independent practice authority. Further, NPs in FL may practice as primary care providers (PCP), licensed under chapters 458, 459, or 464 to provide patients with commonly provided medical services that do not require referrals from a different healthcare provider (NCSL, 2021).
The state I will compare with is Georgia (GA). The GA Board of Nursing regulates APRNs in GA. APRNs in GA must also be licensed as RNs in GA. However, GA is not a member of the nurse licensure compact (NLC) and thus, does not allow multistate licensure (GA. Gov., 2021)…….Please click the icon below to purchase full answer at only $5