U.S. Boards of Nursing
Every state has a regulatory board responsible for controlling the practice of its registered nurses and licensed practical nurses. The name given to each state board contains the name of the state followed by the words Board of Nursing or sometimes Board of Registered Professional Nurses. There are general misunderstandings when it comes to the function of the Board as seen by many residents, nurses, and student nurses. Most believe that the main purpose of this regulating body is to provide licenses to its members, registered and licensed nurses however, the licensing and re-licensing of these health care professionals is only one of the things the Board is responsible for. The most important function of the board is to ensure the well-being, health, and safety of the state residents. The client, resident, or patient comes first in the eyes of this regulating committee.
Every state Board of Nursing has a clearly stated mission statement which can easily be found on their main web page. There are several ways in which the Board of Nursing ensures that members respect and follow specific rules in order to uphold its mission statement. One of the most important methods of regulating nursing practice by the Board is the request that all nurses be licensed in that state. To obtain a nursing license one must complete all the required education from an accredited school of nursing and also pass a national licensing exam. In this way the Board ensures that only those registered and practical nurses who have a valid nursing license are qualified and able to practice nursing in a safe and effective way.
The Boards of Nursing may deny licensure to individuals who answer Yes to the following questions (you may only exclude Class C misdemeanor traffic violations):
1. For any criminal offense, including those pending appeal have you:
- been convicted of a misdemeanor?
- been convicted of a felony?
- pled nolo contendere, no contest, or guilty?
- received deferred adjudication?
- been placed on community supervision or court-ordered probation, whether not adjudicated guilty?
- been sentenced to serve jail or prison time or court ordered confinement?
- been granted pre-trail diversion?
- been arrested or any pending criminal charges?
- been cited of charged with any violation of the law?
- been subject of a court-martial such as Article 15 violation or received any form of military judgement, punishement or action?
2. Are you currently the target or subject of a grant jury of governmental agency investigation?
3. Has any licensing authority refused to issue you a license or ever revoked, annulled, cancelled, accepted surrender of, suspended, placed on probation, refused to renew a professional license, certificate, or multi-state privilege held by you now or previously, or ever fined, censured, reprimanded or otherwise disciplined you?
4. Within the past five years have you been addicted to or treated for the use of alcohol or any other drug?
5. Within the past five years have you been diagnosed with treated, or hospitalized for schizophrenia or psychotic disorder, bipolar disorder, paranoid personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, or borderline personality disorder
Applicants who answer YES to any of these questions should contact their State Board of Nursing to clarify their status and complete a declaratory order.
Licensing is only the initial challenge however, since in order to renew a nursing license the Board requires additional education. A large number of boards from various states require registered nurses and licensed practical nurses to continue their education and complete a predetermined number of credits every two years. This is one way to ensure that health care professionals are keeping current within their field and that clients receive the best care possible. Every board has its own way to verify that those educational credits have been completed by registered and licensed nurses and maintaining documentation as proof of completion is paramount.
Providing license to qualified individuals, drafting and implementing laws and regulations, monitoring the practice of its members, implementing disciplinary action when necessary, and accrediting schools of nursing are other important duties of the Board of Nursing. Each board has carefully written rules to help practicing nurses and unit administrators with questions regarding scope of practice. These rules and guidelines can be found under the Statutes and Regulations section.
When practicing, nurses need to follow the rules outlined by the state Board of Nursing as well as the policies implemented by the facility where they are employed. Throughout their practice many nurses will encounter situations in which they are not sure if a certain task or action is within their scope of practice. The Board of Nursing has crafted a specific step by step process called an Algorithm which can be used to resolve these practice issues. The Board of Nursing expects its members will ensure that every task performed is an accepted standard of care in their particular state and that nurses are prepared to assume responsibility and accountability for their actions.
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