Professional Nursing and State-Level Regulations are being discussed.

All 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands have boards of nursing (BONs). Similar entities may exist for different regions as well. BONs’ mission is to protect the public through the regulation of nursing practice. BONs implement state/region regulations for nurses, which include laying out the requirements for licensure and defining the scope of nursing practice in that state/region.

Comparing regulations from various state/regional boards of nursing can be a beneficial exercise. This can help to share insights that may be useful if a state/region changes in the future. Furthermore, nurses may be required to be licensed in multiple states or regions.

To Get Ready:

Examine the resources and consider the mission of state/regional boards of nursing, which is to protect the public through the regulation of nursing practice.

Consider how important regulations may affect nursing practice.

Examine key nursing practice regulations from your state’s/board region’s of nursing, as well as those from at least one other state/region, and choose at least two APRN regulations to focus on for this Discussion.

Compare at least two APRN board of nursing regulations in your state/region to those in at least one other state/region. Explain how they may differ. Provide specifics and examples. Then, explain how the regulations you chose might apply to Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) who have legal authority to practice within the scope of their education and experience. Give at least one example of how APRNs can follow the two regulations you chose.