Nurse Practice Act - correct answer✔ ✔ the statute that defines
nursing practice in all U.S. states, D.C. and territories. Has 4 Objectives.
Is the most important law affecting nursing practice in your state. Also
defines authority of the state board of nursing (SBN)
4 Objectives of Nurse Practice Act - correct answer✔ ✔ 1. Defines a
practice of professional nursing.
2. Sets educational and other requirements for licensure.
3. Determines legal titles and abbreviations.
4. Provides for disciplinary action.
State Board of Nursing (SBN) - correct answer✔ ✔ Responsible for
enforcing the nurse practice act in your state.
- Publish rules and regulations that expand law.
- Revise to keep up with new health care develop
- Clarify provisions of nurse practice act, but cannot enlarge the law.
- Mirrors federal and state government.
- Set and enforce minimum criteria for nursing education programs
(nursing schools must have state approval to operate).
,How does SBN mirror State/Federal Govt - correct answer✔ ✔ 1.
Executive: administers nurse practice act.
2. Legislative: adopts necessary rules to implement act.
3. Judicial: authority to discipline a license or deny licensure.
NCLEX-RN - correct answer✔ ✔ National Council Licensure
Examination for Registered Nurses - tests critical thinking and nursing
competence.
Nursing Licensure Process - correct answer✔ ✔ Purpose is to protect
public health, safety and welfare. Mandatory law: requires licensure (RN
and LPN/LVN is all states). Permissive law: protects use of the title but
does not prohibit practice if ppl do not use the title. Nurse Licensure
Compact (NLC): allows RNs to have one license yet practice in other
compact member states.
Licensure Discipline - correct answer✔ ✔ To protect the public from
dangerous practice.
Most frequent reason for discipline is practicing while impaired.
Malpractice - correct answer✔ ✔ Negligence applied to the acts of
the professional.
- Greatest legal concern for nursing practice
, - Can refer to what a nurse does (commission) or fails to do (omission)
- Does not have to be intentional
- Question: was prevailing standard of care met?
Conditions for Malpractice - correct answer✔ ✔ 1. Nurse
(defendant) practices with specialized knowledge and skills.
2. Through this practice, the nurse caused patient (plaintiff) injury.
Negligence - correct answer✔ ✔ The failure to act as a reasonably
prudent person would act in the same circumstances.
4 Requirements for Negligence - correct answer✔ ✔ 1. Nurse has
assumed the duty of care.
2. Nurse breached the duty by failing standard of care.
3. Failure was proximate cause of injury.
4. The injury is proven.
6 Major Causes of Negligence - correct answer✔ ✔ 1. Failure to
follow standards of care.
2. Failure to use equipment in a responsible manner.
3. Failure to communicate.
4. Failure to document.