A nurse is a responsible position in a health care system. It requires a specific educational degree and a set of skills one must possess to become a licensed nurse. The state board of nursing and the nursing practice act are two major sources which regulate a role of the nurse, one’s requirements, and how exactly an employee has to fulfill the duties. The American Nurses Association (or ANA) is an organization which protects nurses and their rights in a workplace. The association has a universal guideline regarding the standards of nursing, while the state board of nursing and the nursing practice act are applicable in specific states.
The Florida Board of Nursing is a nursing association which establishes legal requirements to obtain a license in the state of Florida. It is aimed at potential nurses who want to work in the state. Different states develop different rules when it comes to obtaining the license; hence, the licensed nurse in Florida is not able to work in California, and vice versa (“State board of nursing defined and explained”, 2018). The board also registers several types of nurses according to the desires and educational background of an applicant. For example, the board gives a license to a family nurse practitioner. The goal of the institution is to set the legal standards for nursing services and the scope of nurses’ practice.
The Florida Nursing Practice Act is a document which has jurisdiction in Florida and sets the standards of nurses’ qualification, especially, in terms of safe practice (“The 2018 Florida Statutes”, 2018). The applicants who do not meet the requirements or fail them cannot work as nurses anymore. The act establishes primary goals for the nurse, projects the professional duty of the practicing nurse, and the quality of the health care services the professional provides to a patient. Compared to the state board, the document does not offer any licensing; however, it defines the values and principles of the profession (“The 2018 Florida Statutes”, 2018). The document serves as a source of legal requirements which every nurse must know and must follow the guideline.
In other words, the ANA, the state board, and the act operate within different areas of a nursing career. The ANA helps to preserve nurses’ rights and serves as a platform for cooperation in research and innovation. The board is a place where nurses can obtain an official paper which recognizes them as the practicing nurse. However, the board bases its professional activity on the act (Gadbois, Miller, Tyler, & Intrator, 2015). Therefore, the institutions and the document help to create legal frames in which the nurses have to operate to be identified as a professional. Without the standards of the institution, there might be a significant number of the unskilled nurses who do more harm.
The Florida Nursing Practice act is a valuable document for every nurse in the state. It literally provides a definition of every duty and the purpose for nursing practice. Nurses have to know the act and study it as much as they can in order to prevent the problems. Furthermore, nurses have tools and equipment to influence the patient’s state positively and negatively. Therefore, to minimize the risks of abuse or any irresponsible misconduct, the nurses have to know their responsibilities. The act incorporates the standards of nursing practice, and if one violates these norms, there will be legal responsibility. It is necessary to say that the act gives a full explanation on nurse’s role, one’s duties, and professional values.
References
Gadbois, E., Miller, E., Tyler, D., & Intrator, O. (2015). Trends in state regulation of nurse practitioners and physician assistants, 2001 to 2010. HHS Public Access, 72(2). Web.
State board of nursing defined and explained. (2018). Web.
The 2018 Florida Statutes. (2018). Web.