Board of Nursing Practice Acts from North Carolina and Iowa: A Comparison
Developing the guidelines that will provide the foundation for further improvements in nursing services’ quality is crucial for improving patient outcomes in a community (Hunt, 2014). Practice acts help outline the essential values, strategies, and philosophies that will define decision-making strategies used by nursing organizations. Although a uniform approach can be traced in each of them, there are significant differences between nursing practice acts approved in different states.
Despite the fact that both Iowa’s and North Carolina’s practice acts focus on the necessity to implement new programs in the context of the state healthcare system, the Iowa Nursing Board seems to be preoccupied with the enhancement of continuous education for both nurses and patients, whereas the one in North Carolina encourages cross-disciplinary cooperation (Iowa Legislature, n.d.; General Assembly of North Carolina, 2009). Both approaches seem legitimate since both the promotion of education and design of programs lead to a sharp rise in awareness levels. Therefore, the goals manifested in both practice acts are identical, although the tools for achieving them are slightly different.
References
General Assembly of North Carolina. (2009). Nursing practice act. State of North Carolina. Web.
Hunt, D. D. (2014). The nurse professional: Leveraging your education for transition into practice. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.
Iowa Legislature. (n.d.). Iowa nursing practice act. Web.