nurse practice act

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does the nurse practice act impact your delivery of nursing care??

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Hi Butterflydreams3,

I work in Michigan and the state of Michigan has no Nurse Practice Act per se. However I believe most states do have a Nurse Practice Act. I think as a nurse where ever you work, you should be familiar with the legislature that governs your practice. Knowing your legal obligations/options as a nurse not only protects your patients, it protects you. As one nursing instructor I had put it, "Ignorance of the law is not a valid excuse for breaking it."

I'm not quite sure what you are asking, whether your state has a Nurse Practice Act or other legislature concerning nursing, how can it not impact a nurses delivery of care?

Is there anything specific in regards to the Nurse Practice Act concerning nursing care you have a questions about?

DusktilDawn

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I'm not in Michigan, but I found this (from the Public Health Code, Act 368, of 1978):

333.17201 Definitions; principles of construction.

Sec. 17201.

(1) As used in this part:

(a) "Practice of nursing" means the systematic application of substantial specialized knowledge and skill, derived from the biological, physical, and behavioral sciences, to the care, treatment, counsel, and health teaching of individuals who are experiencing changes in the normal health processes or who require assistance in the maintenance of health and the prevention or management of illness, injury, or disability.

(b) "Practice of nursing as a licensed practical nurse" or "l.p.n." means the practice of nursing based on less comprehensive knowledge and skill than that required of a registered professional nurse and performed under the supervision of a registered professional nurse, physician, or dentist.

© "Registered professional nurse" or "r.n." means an individual licensed under this article to engage in the practice of nursing which scope of practice includes the teaching, direction, and supervision of less skilled personnel in the performance of delegated nursing activities.

(2) In addition to the definitions in this part, article 1 contains general definitions and principles of construction applicable to all articles in the code and part 161 contains definitions applicable to this part.

Jim Huffman, RN

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Thanks Jim,

Since I started working in Michigan trying to find laws & legislature on the internet concerning nursing in this state it has been a nightmare. I want to know what the legal aspects of nursing, I think the state of Michigan just makes this difficult for nurses. :angryfire

When I worked in Canada, I always found it very easy to find info concerning nursing laws.

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I think it's the nature of bureaucrats, who are not great with providing internet-friendly information. In other words, geeks don't usually go to work for governments. : )

Jim Huffman, RN

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I think it's the nature of bureaucrats, who are not great with providing internet-friendly information. In other words, geeks don't usually go to work for governments. : )

Jim Huffman, RN

Actually I think anal sphincters are what most bureaucrats are. :D However I did order a copy of The Standards of Nursing Practice from the ANA, and am writing the Michigan BON for further info.

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