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.
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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.
By Day 3 of Week 5
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.
Discussion; Professional Nursing and State-Level Regulations
Nursing is a specialty in healthcare that is essential in promoting patient health through their involvement in primary care as well as in preventive care. To meet the desired outcomes, various regulations have been imposed by the Boards of Nursing in various states to govern the scope of practice and prescriptive authority (Ladd et al., 2019). The Boards of Nursing impose regulations that are only applicable within their states hence, the regulations are not universal in all states. For this assignment, I will discus the difference in regulations between the states of Texas and Virginia APRNs. I will also highlight how the regulations apply to APRNs.
Texas is one among a few states that allows advanced practice registered nurses to practice within the full scope of their education and experience (Tran, 2020). As one of the states of the united states, Texas has always advocated for the elimination of barriers to healthcare by allowing APRNs to practice in their full scope as a means of enhancing access to healthcare. One unique privilege among APRNs in Texas is that nurse practitioners can prescribe and administer some of the controlled substances even though with the supervision of a physician. This freedom bestowed on APRNs in Texas is critical in alleviating some issues in nursing such as poor accessibility to healthcare and the nurse shortage that is experienced globally.
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Unlike in the case of Texas, APRNs in Virginia must be licensed by two regulatory bodies, the Board of Nursing and the board of medicine (Code of Virginia). This regulation aims to improve the quality of care within the state but it is Associated with serious repercussions such as increasing the effects of the current global nurse shortage. Besides, APRNs in Virginia are restricted in prescribing some controlled substances such as opioids. For instance, they can administer opioids for the management of pain for more than a week.
References
Code of Virginia. Licensure and practice of nurse practitioners. https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter29/section54.1-2957/
Ladd, E., Sweeney, C. F., Guarino, A., & Hoyt, A. (2019). Opioid prescribing by nurse practitioners in Medicare Part D: Impact of state scope of practice legislation. Medical Care Research and Review, 76(3), 337-353.
Tran, A. Q. (2020). Full practice authority for nurse practitioners: is it right for Texas? (Doctoral dissertation).