TEXAS NURSING JURISPRUDENCE 2026 CORE
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔Rules & Regulations - ✔✔The NPA itself is insufficient to provide the necessary
guidance for the nursing profession, therefore, each NPA establishes a board of nursing
(BON) that has the authority to develop administrative rules or regulations to clarify or
make the law more specific. Rules and regulations must be consistent with the NPA and
cannot go beyond it. These rules and regulations undergo a process of public review
before enactment. Once enacted, rules and regulations have the full force and effect of
law.
✔✔IT IS A NURSE'S RESPONSIBILITY TO KNOW NPA/RULES AND REGULATIONS
- ✔✔As a nurse in Texas, you have a responsibility to know and follow the Nursing
Practice Act and all
applicable BON Rules and Regulations relating to your nursing practice. All current
BON Rules and
Regulations and the Nursing Practice Act can be downloaded from the BON's web site
at
www.bon.texas.gov
✔✔Standards of Nursing Practice - ✔✔Standards Applicable to All Nurses. All
vocational nurses, registered nurses and registered nurses with advanced practice
authorization shall:
(A) Know and conform to the Texas Nursing Practice Act and the board's rules and
regulations as well as all federal, state, or local laws, rules or regulations affecting the
nurse's current area of nursing practice.
The standards of practice establish a minimum acceptable level of nursing practice in
any setting for each level of nursing licensure or advanced practice authorization.
Failure to meet these standards may result in action against the
nurse's license even if no actual patient injury resulted.
✔✔Laws & Regulations Regarding Nursing - ✔✔- Texas Nurse Practice Act (NPA)
- Texas Board of Nursing (BON) Rules & Regulations
- BON Position Statements
Don't have the force of law, but the Board strongly encourages nurses to choose those
position statements applicable to their practice setting and incorporate them into their
daily practice to assure patient safety
✔✔The Texas Board of Nursing (BON) - ✔✔Established by passage of the NPA
BON empowered by NPA with the responsibility and legal authority for ensuring
competent practitioners of nursing.
, Grants authority to the BON to make the rules and regulations to carry out the act.
✔✔The Board: - ✔✔protects the public from unsafe nursing practice, provides approval
for more than 200 nursing education programs, issues licenses to more than 27,000
nurses per year by examination to new graduates and by endorsement to licensees
from other states seeking a Texas license, as well as providing nursing practice and
education guidance to more than 350,000 currently licensed nurses practicing in the
State of Texas.
✔✔BON Responsibilities & Services - ✔✔Licensing qualified practitioners
Enforcement - investigating violations of the NPA and initiating appropriate legal action
when necessary
Establishing minimum standards for educational programs in nursing
✔✔BON Mission Statement - ✔✔To protect and promote the welfare of the people of
Texas by ensuring that each person holding a license as a nurse in the State of Texas
is competent to practice safely.
✔✔BON Mission Fulfilled Through - ✔✔The regulation of the practice of nursing, and
The approval of nursing education programs.
✔✔Licensure Required - ✔✔A person may not practice or offer to practice professional
nursing or vocational nursing in this state unless the person is licensed [NPA § 301.251]
This section of the NPA establishes the NPA as a practice control act for RNs and LVNs
✔✔Use of Titles - ✔✔Must hold a license to use the title:
Registered Nurse or RN
Professional Nurse
Licensed Vocational Nurse or LVN
Any designation that implies that the person is a licensed registered or vocational nurse
✔✔Clearly Legible Insignia - ✔✔When interacting with the public in a nursing role, RNs
and LVNs must wear an insignia identifying them as RNs or LVNs [NPA § 301.351]
APRNs practicing in an advance practice role must identify themselves with their APRN
title
BON Rule 217.10(b) requires the nurse's first or last name and licensure level
✔✔Although the board does not require the inclusion of any other designations, with the
exception of the
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔Rules & Regulations - ✔✔The NPA itself is insufficient to provide the necessary
guidance for the nursing profession, therefore, each NPA establishes a board of nursing
(BON) that has the authority to develop administrative rules or regulations to clarify or
make the law more specific. Rules and regulations must be consistent with the NPA and
cannot go beyond it. These rules and regulations undergo a process of public review
before enactment. Once enacted, rules and regulations have the full force and effect of
law.
✔✔IT IS A NURSE'S RESPONSIBILITY TO KNOW NPA/RULES AND REGULATIONS
- ✔✔As a nurse in Texas, you have a responsibility to know and follow the Nursing
Practice Act and all
applicable BON Rules and Regulations relating to your nursing practice. All current
BON Rules and
Regulations and the Nursing Practice Act can be downloaded from the BON's web site
at
www.bon.texas.gov
✔✔Standards of Nursing Practice - ✔✔Standards Applicable to All Nurses. All
vocational nurses, registered nurses and registered nurses with advanced practice
authorization shall:
(A) Know and conform to the Texas Nursing Practice Act and the board's rules and
regulations as well as all federal, state, or local laws, rules or regulations affecting the
nurse's current area of nursing practice.
The standards of practice establish a minimum acceptable level of nursing practice in
any setting for each level of nursing licensure or advanced practice authorization.
Failure to meet these standards may result in action against the
nurse's license even if no actual patient injury resulted.
✔✔Laws & Regulations Regarding Nursing - ✔✔- Texas Nurse Practice Act (NPA)
- Texas Board of Nursing (BON) Rules & Regulations
- BON Position Statements
Don't have the force of law, but the Board strongly encourages nurses to choose those
position statements applicable to their practice setting and incorporate them into their
daily practice to assure patient safety
✔✔The Texas Board of Nursing (BON) - ✔✔Established by passage of the NPA
BON empowered by NPA with the responsibility and legal authority for ensuring
competent practitioners of nursing.
, Grants authority to the BON to make the rules and regulations to carry out the act.
✔✔The Board: - ✔✔protects the public from unsafe nursing practice, provides approval
for more than 200 nursing education programs, issues licenses to more than 27,000
nurses per year by examination to new graduates and by endorsement to licensees
from other states seeking a Texas license, as well as providing nursing practice and
education guidance to more than 350,000 currently licensed nurses practicing in the
State of Texas.
✔✔BON Responsibilities & Services - ✔✔Licensing qualified practitioners
Enforcement - investigating violations of the NPA and initiating appropriate legal action
when necessary
Establishing minimum standards for educational programs in nursing
✔✔BON Mission Statement - ✔✔To protect and promote the welfare of the people of
Texas by ensuring that each person holding a license as a nurse in the State of Texas
is competent to practice safely.
✔✔BON Mission Fulfilled Through - ✔✔The regulation of the practice of nursing, and
The approval of nursing education programs.
✔✔Licensure Required - ✔✔A person may not practice or offer to practice professional
nursing or vocational nursing in this state unless the person is licensed [NPA § 301.251]
This section of the NPA establishes the NPA as a practice control act for RNs and LVNs
✔✔Use of Titles - ✔✔Must hold a license to use the title:
Registered Nurse or RN
Professional Nurse
Licensed Vocational Nurse or LVN
Any designation that implies that the person is a licensed registered or vocational nurse
✔✔Clearly Legible Insignia - ✔✔When interacting with the public in a nursing role, RNs
and LVNs must wear an insignia identifying them as RNs or LVNs [NPA § 301.351]
APRNs practicing in an advance practice role must identify themselves with their APRN
title
BON Rule 217.10(b) requires the nurse's first or last name and licensure level
✔✔Although the board does not require the inclusion of any other designations, with the
exception of the
