Practical Nurse Scope Of Practice

As a nurse, it is important to know that the tasks performed are in your scope of practice; This enables you, as a nurse, to perform safely and efficiently. The scope of practice for a Licensed Practical Nurse differentiates between each state's board of nursing. In Florida, the Board of Nursing and the Senate both hold the regulations and roles of Practical Nurses. There are severe consequences for a practical nurse to go out of the scope of practice; not only for them but their patients’ lives, and whomever the practical nurse is working under as well.

In the United States, nurses are categorized from LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse) to RN (Registered Nurse) to APN (Advanced Practical Nurse). The Licensed Practical nurse is the “starting point”

A practical nurse is responsible and accountable for making decisions that are based upon the individual’s educational preparation and experience in nursing.” (“FS 464”, 2016). As an LPN, you are able to work under numerous divisions of the medical field; This makes it more challenging for an LPN to understand their scope of practice while working in different fields compared to a nurse who specializes in Orthopedics or Pediatrics. However, there are numerous ways of finding your scope of

I have found that the Florida Board of Nursing holds information and links on where to find the answers to certain concerns rather than having the answers. The Florida Board of Nursing leads you to the Florida Senate, where I found the most information on an LPN’s scope of practice. The Florida Senate defined what “the scope of practice” means, what an LPN is, and what an LPN’s scope of practice pertains to. “The sole legislative purpose in enacting this part is to ensure that every nurse practicing in this state meets minimum requirements for safe practice. It is the legislative intent that nurses who fall below minimum competency or who otherwise present a danger to the public shall be prohibited from practicing in this state.” (“FS Chapter 464”, 2016) I agree that the sole purpose to the scope of practice for an LPN must be regulated to keep patients safe and to provide reassurance that the health care field remains effective in every aspect of treatment