Nurses Practice Act Essay

Nursing is Perhaps one of the most all encompassing, touching and passionate quotes comes from the founder of the modern profession of nursing, Florence Nightingale, Nursing is an art: and if it is to be made an art, it requires an exclusive devotion as hard a preparation, as any painter's or sculptor's work; for what is the having to do with dead canvas or dead marble, compared with having to do with the living body, the temple of God's spirit? It is one of the Fine Arts: I had almost said the finest of Fine Arts." (Florence Nightingale, 2010)

The Nurse Practice Act of Ohio is found in the Ohio Revised Code chapter 4723. It defines registered nurse as “an individual who holds a current, valid license issued under this chapter that authorizes the practice of nursing as a registered nurse.” It goes on to explain that the practice of the registered nurse includes “providing to individuals and groups nursing care requiring specialized knowledge, judgment, and skill derived from the principles of biological, physical, behavioral, social, and nursing sciences.” (ORC.01)
A licensed practical nurse is defined in the Nurse Practice Act “as an individual who holds a current, valid license issued under this chapter that authorizes the practice of nursing as a licensed practical nurse.” The practice of nursing as a L.P.N. is described as “providing to individuals and groups nursing care requiring the application of basic knowledge of the biological, physical, behavioral, social, and nursing sciences at the direction of a licensed physician, dentist, podiatrist, optometrist, chiropractor, or registered nurse.” The L.P.N. has a dependent role in nursing care and may provide care only at the direction of a R.N., licensed physician, dentist, podiatrist, optometrist or chiropractor. (ORC 4723.01)
An example of the difference between the roles of a R.N. and L.P.N. is seen in the nursing process. Assessment is the first step in the nursing process and it refers to the the...