Professional Nursing and State-Level Regulations

Professional Nursing and State-Level Regulations

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.
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.

MORE INFO

Professional Nursing and State-Level Regulations

Introduction

We’re all familiar with the concept of licensure and certification, but what exactly do they mean? In short: Licensure is a government-issued certification that indicates that an individual has met certain qualifications and been granted permission to practice certain professions in the state where they live. For example, you might think of nurses as people who take care of sick people and physicians as people who heal them. But each state has its own system for issuing these formal licenses so that individuals can work as nurses without having to worry about being penalized by their profession or region’s board if they make mistakes or fail at their jobs.

Education Requirements

• State-level regulations vary by state.

• In most states, a BSN is the minimum requirement for RNs who want to work in an acute care setting. However, some states have different requirements for these nurses. For example, California requires an ADN and two years’ experience as an LPN before you can apply for licensure as a nurse practitioner (NP). On the other hand, North Carolina requires that you complete both phases of their nursing program at an accredited school before applying for NP licensure—you also need three years’ experience as an LPN followed by two years in health care leadership positions after graduation from their program.*

• Some nurses with diplomas may be able to work as licensed practical nurses (LPNs) under certain circumstances; however this is not always possible because there are specific rules governing who can obtain this type of license depending on where they live.*

Licensure Requirements

Each state has different requirements for nursing licensure. To be licensed in the state of California, you need to:

• Be a US citizen or permanent resident

• Have graduated from an accredited nursing program

• Pass the NCLEX-RN exam within three months of completing your program (if it’s been longer than that, you can take another one)

Once this step is completed, you must also renew your license every two years by taking and passing a new test called “The National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses.” If you do not pass this test on time or if there are any problems with your qualifications during testing, then they may revoke your license until they decide whether or not it should be reinstated again after some time has passed without incident; these cases often require further investigation by law enforcement officials before being resolved satisfactorily enough so as not cause undue stress upon both parties involved in such matters as well as harm him/herself/themselves through self-medication due to lack of sleep caused by anxiety over being unable perform adequately during stressful times like these..

Cost of Training

• How much does it cost to get a nursing degree?

The average cost of an associate’s degree in nursing is $8,300 per year. However, some programs can be up to $20k or more. If you want to attend a private school or one that offers scholarships, your expenses may be even higher. The most expensive nursing schools tend to be at the top of their classifications—both public and private—and offer some of the best facilities available on campus as well as access to resources outside of the university’s walls (such as clinical rotations).

• What are some other ways I can save money?

If possible, try not taking out loans from credit cards when paying for your education; instead use cash toward tuition costs as well as living expenses (food & transportation). In addition, if possible consider working part-time during school in order pay off some debt early so that it doesn’t burden yourself later on down road!

Conclusion

Nursing is a very rewarding field that can be lucrative with proper training. Unfortunately, it’s not easy to become a nurse. It takes years of education and experience before you can even start working as a licensed professional nurse (LPN). Even then, your future earnings will depend on where you live in terms of state licensing requirements for nurses (more about this later). If you want to pursue becoming an RN or BSN program at an affordable price without taking out student loans or going into debt from student loans , check out our list of top schools below: