I was interested to learn more about the Nurse Practice Act (NPA); therefore, I conducted some research about its history and purpose. According to Russell (2017), during the Progressive Era (1890-1920), advancements in science, urbanization, education, and law led to a significant social, economic, and political restructuring. Those changes helped reform and modernized many professions including nursing. The United States' Constitution does not contain provisions to regulate the nursing profession; therefore, it is the responsibility of individual states to make laws and regulate the nursing profession. The state of North Carolina passed the first nurse registration law in 1903 with the purpose of protecting and refining the nursing profession. In 1938, New York outlined a nursing scope of practice, and by the end of the 1970s, every state in the United States required licensure for registered and vocational nurses. Today, each state has a Nurse Practice Act and develops specific rules and regulations pertaining to the nursing profession. The Nurse Practice Act gives the Board of Nursing in every state the authority to regulate the nursing practice. Although each state has a different NPAs, all NPAs include information on standards and scope of nursing practice, types of licenses, licensure requirements, reasons behind disciplinary actions and possible solutions. Jane is a hypothetical licensed nurse living in California who is currently moving with her family to Oregon. According to the NPA, Jane needs to obtain an Oregon nursing license before practicing nursing. To do so, Jane must apply to Oregon's Board of Nursing (BON). Jane's application must show that she completed at least 400 verified hours of practice within the past two years or prove that she graduated from her nursing program within two years prior to submission of her application (Nursing Practice Act, 2021). Jane knows that Oregon's BON will not receive third party payments for her application, and she must attest to completing her application by herself (Nursing Practice Act, 2021). Jane needs to show successful completion of the NCLEX examination from her original state, send her school transcripts that show successful completion of a pre-licensure program (Nursing Practice Act, 2021). Because Jane's school has permanently closed last year due to financial hardships, she needs to provide a verification from the state of California that states that her program was authorized as a nursing program in California at the time of graduation; additionally, Jane needs to provide documents
Reference
Nurse Practice Act, OR. Stat. $ 678.050 (2021). https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills laws/ors/ors678.html
Russell, K. A. (2017). Nurse practice acts guide and govern: Update 2017. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 8(3), 1825. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2155-8256(17)30156-4
https://clic- concordia.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01CLIC CONCORDIA/1n3ssve/cdi crossref pri mary 10 1016 S2155 8256 17 30156 4
Standards for licensure of registered nurses and licensed practical nurses. Oregon Secretary of State. (2021). Retrieved from https://secure.sos.state.or.us/oard/viewSingleRule.action? ruleVrsnRsn=283772