Nursing Practice Act free essay sample

Practice Act 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. We will write a custom essay sample on Nursing Practice Act or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page ). Nurses have a legal liability to advocate for patients, and provide safe administration of medications, and provide quality, nursing care to patients without negligence. With this paper I will explain nursing practice, continuing education and it’s requirements, as well as the composition and responsibilities of the state board of nursing. Nursing practice means the performance of those acts requiring substantial specialized knowledge, judgment, and nursing skill based upon applied principles of psychological, biological, physical, and social sciences (Nurse Practice Act, 2007, p. ). That may sum up nursing but nurses do a lot more. Nurses have a legal liability to advocate for patients, and provide safe administration of medications, and provide quality, nursing care to patients without negligence. They educate the ill, injured, and infirmed. Promote wellness, maintenance of health, and prevention of illness of others. (Nurse Practice Act, 2007, p. 7). â€Å"Advanced or specialized nursing practice means, in addition to the practice of professional nursing, the performance of advanced-level nursing acts approved by the board. Which by virtue of post-basic specialized education, training, and experience are appropriately performed by an advanced registered nurse practitioner. (Nurse Practice Act, 2007, p. 7). Being a Nurse Practitioner is the closest form of nursing to a doctor. They may perform acts of medical diagnosis and treatment, are able to write prescription, and when approved by the joint committee they can preform an operation. The committee consists of two advanced registered nurse practitioners; three members appointed by the board of medicine, and the State Surgeon general of the department or the State Surgeon General’s designee. All of the acts stated above must be performed under the general supervision of a licensed practitioner (Nurse Practice Act, 2007, p. 7).. (Nurse Practice Act, 2007, p. 7). Once you finally graduate from the nursing program (yay! ) you must take further steps in order to be able to practice. First you need to apply to the department to take your Nclexx. There is an application fee which does not exceed $150. 00, an examination fee set by the board which does not exceed $75. 00, and finally the actual per applicant cost to the department for purchase of the exam from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. Next you will have to provide sufficient information on or after October 1, 1989, which must be submitted by the department for a statewide criminal records correspondence check through the Department of Law Enforcement. You must be in good mental and physical health, is a recipient of a high school diploma or the equivalent, and has completed the requirements for graduation from an approved program, or its equivalent as determined by the board, for the preparation of registered nurses or licensed practical nurses, whichever is applicable. Courses successfully completed in a professional nursing program, which are at least equivalent to a practical nursing program, may be used to satisfy the education requirements for licensure as a licensed practical nurse. You have be able to communicate in the English language, which may be determined by an examination given by the department. Finally, Each applicant who passes the examination and provides proof of meeting the educational requirements specified in subsection shall, unless denied pursuant to s. 64. 018, be entitled to licensure as a registered professional nurse or a licensed practical nurse, whichever is applicable. (Nurse Practice Act, 2007, P. 9). In any field of work there is a code of conduct. If you choose to stray away from the rules it can lead to disciplinary action; denial, suspension, or even revocation of a license. A thing we are seeing a lot of any more is sexual misconduct in the work place. Nurse-patient relationship is founded on mutual trust. Sexual misconduct in the practice of nursing means violation of the nurse-patient relationship through which the nurse uses said relationship to induce or attempt to induce the patient to engage, or to engage or attempt to engage the patient, in sexual activity outside the scope of the practice or the scope of generally accepted examination or treatment of the patient. Sexual misconduct in the practice of nursing is prohibited. The following acts constitute grounds for denial of a license or disciplinary action, as specified in s. 56. 072(2):? Making or filing false reports or records; false, misleading, or deceptive advertising; unprofessional conduct; Engaging or attempting to engage in the possession sale or distribution of controlled substances set forth in chapter 893; Being irresponsible and unable to practice without reasonable skill and safety to patients due to illness or use of alcohol, drugs, narcotics, or chemicals, or any other type of material as a result of any mental or physical condition. Failing to report to the department anyone who the licensee knows is in violation of this part or to the rules of the department or the board, violating while being aware of any provision of the board or the departments or lawful order of the board, or failing to comply with a lawfully issued subpoena of the departments. Failing to report any licensee who the nurse knows has violated the grounds for disciplinary action, failing to meet the standards for acceptable and prevailing nursing practice. The board may deny licensure against any applicant or licensee who is found guilty of violating any provision of subsection 1. The board will not reinstate the license of a nurse until a person is capable of safely engaging in the practice of nursing. The board shall not reinstate the license of a nurse who has been found guilty by the board on three separate occasions of violations. The board shall by rule establish guidelines for the disposition of disciplinary cases involving specific types of violations. Such guidelines may include minimum and maximum fines, periods of supervision or probation, or conditions of probation or reissuance of a license. Nurse Practice Act, 2007, P. 14-15). The one thing I love about nursing is all of the advancements and the almost endless continuing education. Continuing education is defined as planned offerings designed to enhance learning and promote the continued development of knowledge, skills, and attitudes consistent with contemporary standards for nursing practice. It is also important for nurses to be up to date with all of with all of the advancements in the medica l field with technology and all of the new medicine the keeps coming out. Each licensed nurse, upon request, has to submit proof satisfactory to the Board of participation in appropriate continuing education. During each two years one contact hour must be earned for each calendar month of the licensure cycle. Any person licensed by examination within a two year period are exempt from the continuing education requirement for those two years; however, this exemption or limitation if you will, will only apply if the license is renewed in a timely manner at the end of the two years and does not apply if the license is suspended, revoked or is inactive at the end of the two years. Any nurse who is also licensed as a practical nurse may satisfy the continuing education requirements for renewal of both licenses by completing appropriate continuing education for a registered nurse. A license is also exempt from continuing education requirements at the time of renewal if the licensee was on active duty with the Armed Forces within six months of the renewal date. However, short periods of duty such as summer of weekend drills do not count. Duty in the U. S. Public Health Service is not considered duty in the Armed Forces. A nurse who is married to a member of the Armed Forces and was caused to be absent from Florida due to the spouses duties can be exempt from continuing education. The licensee must show satisfactory proof of the absence and the spouse’s military states (Nurse Practice Act, 2007, P. 60). The licensee must show satisfactory proof of the absence and the spouse’s military states (Nurse Practice Act, 2007, P. 60). The content of the education shall be specifically designed to meet the objectives and the stated level and learning needs of the participants. The education should reflect the professional educational needs for the learner in order to meet the health care needs of the consumer. All of the offering contact hours will be at least 50 minutes in length or one contact hour. The hours will be awarded for clinical as well as classroom education (Nurse Practice Act, 2007, P. 62). Besides the basic nurse professional continuing education, there are specific areas a nurse is required to have continuing education in such as HIV/AIDS, Domestic Violence, Medical Errors, and End of life (Nurse Practice Act, 2007, P. 65-66). Every nursing school has their own requirements. For instance some use the TEAS entrance exam while others use the NET test or HESI. The nursing program shall have a written plan for the systematic evaluation of the total program and its outcomes for the purpose of determining competency, adequacy and effectiveness. The parent institution has to provide financial and administrative support and resources to the nursing program such as classroom space, labs, and office space. The faculty-student ratio shall be at a maximum ratio of 1:12 in community-based learning experience setting. The nursing program shall admit students to the program based upon the number of faculty, available educational facilities and resources, and the availability of clinical learning experiences for the student. It shall provide written policies for admission, readmission, transfer, advanced placement, promotion, graduation, withdrawal, or dismissal to the student shall be consistent with those for students in the parent institution and acceptable educational standards. (Nurse Practice Act, 2007, P. 39). The Board of Nursing is created within the department and shall consist of 13 members to be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. Seven members of the board must be registered nurses who are residents of this state and who have been engaged in the practice of professional nursing for at least 4 years, including at least one advanced registered nurse practitioner, one nurse educator member of an approved program, and one nurse executive. These seven board members should be representative of the diverse areas of practice within the nursing profession. In addition, three members of the board must be licensed practical nurses who are residents of this state and who have been actively engaged in the practice of practical nursing for at least 4 years prior to their appointment. The remaining three members must be residents of the state who have never been licensed as nurses and who are in no way connected with the practice of nursing. No person may be appointed as a lay member who is in any way connected with, or has any financial interest in, any health care facility, agency, or insurer. At least one member of the board must be 60 years of age or older. As the terms of the members expire, the Governor shall appoint successors for terms of 4 years, and such members shall serve until their successors are appointed. (Nurse Practice Act, 2007, P. 9). Throughout this paper I have learned so much more than I had expected. The Nursing Practice Act is so important in so many ways. You have to work hard and maintain that hard work throughout a nursing career. Myself as well as the rest of the nursing students will use this book not as coffee table decoration but as a guide for our journey of becoming nurses. Nursing is an art: and if it is to be made an art, it requires as exclusive a devotion, as hard a preparation, as any painter’s or sculptor’s work: for what is the having to do with dead canvas or cold marble, compared with having to do with the living spiritthe temple of God’s spirit? It is one of the Fine Arts; I had almost said, the finest of Fine Arts. † (Nightingale) Reference Page Nurse Practice Act, F. S. 456 (2007)