Scope of Practice Question

I think doing both of those things independently could be construed as diagnosing and treating, which is out of the scope of practice of an RN (other than an APRN) in all states. I could see it being in line with practicing medicine without a license.

Agree with the previous two posts. It's one thing for you to do this to a family member at home...it's another thing to do it to a patient.

I would say it highly depends upon your education, training and State.

In Arizona the RN's SoP is defined as such;

R4-19-402. Standards Related to Registered Nurse Scope of Practice

A. A registered nurse (RN) shall perform only those nursing activities for which the RN has been prepared through basic registered nursing education and those additional skills which are obtained through subsequent nursing education and within the scope of practice of an RN as determined by the Board.

This covers things like intubation. Some RNs can because they have been trained and educated in intubation but if you don't know how then you cannot.

Check your BON, write them an email. Everytime I have written mine they have responded in 1-3 business days.

Generally no, unless your facility has given a specific class on these procedures and you have been checked off. Lancing a boil is not just a matter of getting the pus out. If you do not use the proper technique you can push bacteria further into tissue and get a spread of infection. And depending on the area where the infection is, you can infect the joint space or the tendons which takes much more time to heal or won't heal at all, depending on the type of bacteria growing there.

As far as FB removal like glass etc, I have removed VERY SUPERFICIAL pieces of glass etc from time to time but only after physician evaluation with minimal bleeding and in a wound that will not require a suture.

This type of wound care requires specific skills that are not taught in nursing school. I would not perform those procedures.

Diagnosing and treating is not outside the scope of practice of an RN, in fact it's the bulk of what we do.

The procedures you describe are are not by definition outside the scope of an RN, but they aren't in your scope if you are have been trained on that procedure where that training has been validated and maintained.