Nurse Practice Act Essay

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The Nurse Practice Act or NPA was created to not only protect nurses during their practice, but the public as well. According to American Nurses Association (2012) "Acts are intended to protect patients from harm as a result of unsafe or incompetent practice, or unqualified nurses" (para. 4). These set rules and regulations are in place to allow safe and efficient nursing practice in any setting.
One way the Nursing Practice Act protects the public is by title. According to Russell (2012) "The use of the title nurse by unlicensed individuals misleads and endangers the public" (pg. 38). In Genesis Hospital the nurses wear a bright yellow badge with big bold letters "RN" on it. These badges help patients, staff and the community clearly identify who is qualified to help in a situation that …show more content…

This plays an important role in protecting the public by ensuring that nurses are up-to-date and knowledgeable on the most current standards and practices. If nurses do not stay on top of their educations and insight, they may pose as a potential threat to the public.
Lastly, the NPA protects the public by stating that nurses can be punished or lose the ability to practice for any violations of the NPA or misconduct. This rule pushes nurses to do their very best and provide exquisite care for patients and the public in fear that they could potentially lose their license if they did not treat a patient correctly or with the same respect as a nurse would treat others.
It is important for nurses to know the NPA in their state because it will protect them from preforming acts that they are not qualified to preform or supposed to do. According to National Council of State Board of Nursing (2017) "Nursing care poses a risk of harm to the public if practiced by professionals who are unprepared or incompetent, the state, through its police powers, is required to protect its citizens from harm" (para.

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