Legal Regulation of Nursing
Although every RN in the United States takes the same licensing exam (NCLEX-RN), each state is charged with the licensing of nurses and the creation of law and rules to govern nursing practice in that state. Locate the Nurse Practice Act (or nursing law) for your state, and investigate one of the following issues: delegation by the RN to the unlicensed assistive personnel, use of the term nursing diagnosis, patient abandonment (refusal of an assignment), or requirements for continued licensure (practice, continuing education, or others). Tell us what your state’s law says on this issue and how this impacts your practice.