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Welcome back everyone.
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Nursing has come a long since the day of Florence
Nightingale and this ever evolving, dynamic profession
has seen tremendous changes over the years.
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One of these changes enacted by the legislature
of each state, protect patient safety
and to guide the scope of practice for all
levels of nurses, is the Nurse Practice Act.
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Safe, competent nursing practice is grounded in the
law as written in the state nurse practice act (NPA)
and the state rules and regulations.
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So let's talk just a moment about
the history of Nurse Practice Acts.
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Nursing is among the many professions
regulated by state-based practice acts.
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But prior to 1900, no state had a nurse practice act
and nurses were neither registered nor licensed.
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But today, all RNs, LPNs and nurses with specialty
certifications are governed by a state's nurse practice act.
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The significance of the nurse practice act.
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It defines the scope of practice
specific to a registered nurse,
a licensed licensed pratical nurse
and an advanced practice nurse.
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It represents all laws that regulate a nurse's scope of
practice in the state in which the nurse is licensed to work.
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And it protects patients from harm as
well as lay the rules and regulations
for the specific level of a nurse's
educational and licensure requirements.
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The function of the Nurse Practice Act.
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It protects citizen's rights.
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Sometimes it's called,
professional regulation.
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It establishes standards and codes of ethics for
practitioners at different levels of expertise.
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Each state in America has a nurse
practice act and that delineates
the scope of proper nursing
practice in that jurisdiction.
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It's going to vary
from state to state.
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So nurses must familiarize themselves
with the nurse practice act of the state
or the states in which they're
licensed to practice.
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Now, what is your
individual responsibility?
Now, healthcare practices
are always changing.
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Nurses must remain knowledgeable of developments
inherent in providing safe, patient care.
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And nurses need to be aware of
their state's Nurse Practice Act
and only perform the duties for which
they have received specific training.
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So remember, nurse practice acts delineate
the laws and rules that regulate nursing.
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They are enacted by the legistatures of every
state and territory of the United States.
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So when thinking of everything
we've talked about today,
I'd like for you to identify three ways a
state's Nurse Practice Act are significant.
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It defines the scope of practice specific to a registered nurse,
a licensed practical nurse and an advanced practice nurse.
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It represents all laws that regulate a nurse's scope of
practice in the state in which the nurse is licensed to work.
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And finally, it protects patients from harm
as well as lay the rules and regulations
for the specific level of a nurse's
educational and licensure requirements.
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So I hope you've enjoyed watching
today's video on Nurse Practice Acts.
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Thanks so much for watching.