The Chapter 464 of 2015 Florida Statutes is devoted to nursing and may be alternatively cited as Nurse Practice Act (NPA). It is aimed at eliminating the danger of incompetent nurses practicing in Florida. Therefore, the minimal requirements for Florida nurses are determined by NPA.
Authority
According to the regulation 464.006 from the Chapter 464: Nursing (2015) of Florida Statutes, the rulemaking authority concerning nursing in Florida is granted to the Florida Board of Nursing. The procedure of appointment and the terms for the Board members are regulated by NPA as well.
Requirements to Renew a License
According to the regulation 464.013, in order to renew a license, a receipt of the renewal application is needed along with an appropriate fee. Licenses are expected to be renewed biannually; apart from that a 30-hours continuous education can be expected from a practitioner, and completing this training is necessary for a license renewal. It is true for most practitioners except for the nurses who have received a certificate of a specialty program that is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies or the Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification.
The Violation for Fraudulent Use of RN, LPN, and ARNP Credentials
According to the regulation 464.016, fraudulent use of the credentials of any medical practitioner status (including but not limited to those of a registered nurse (RN), licensed practical nurse (LPN), and advanced registered nurse practitioner) are considered a felony of the third degree. Relevant actions include practicing any kind of nursing (advanced, specialized, professional, practical) without being licensed to do so; using suspended or revoked certificate; employing persons in the field of nursing without suitable licenses; obtaining (or attempting to obtain) a nursing license with the help of fraud. Apart from that, using the titles described by the definitions part of the act without suitable licences (as well as knowing of any of the mentioned frauds) is considered to be a misdemeanor of the first degree.
Sexual Misconduct
According to the regulation 464.017, sexual misconduct in nursing involves breaking the trust that is supposed to be the foundation of the relationship between a patient and a nurse. Put crudely, sexual misconduct presupposes persuading (or attempting to persuade) a patient to engage in any kind of sexual activity with the nurse. However, the activities that are a part of examination are not considered to be sexual. Apparently, this kind of misconduct is prohibited.
Adding to Florida Nurse Practice Act
NPA is an act that appears to present consistent and accurate information in appropriate volumes and is capable of providing answers to most questions that may arise concerning the mentioned issues. It includes definitions, information concerning licensure and certification as well as the renewal of the licenses, the actions that are considered to be violations and the corresponding penalties, along with relevant exceptions. It should be pointed out that these sections appear to fulfil the purpose of providing minimal requirements for nursing practitioners. In case one finds it possible to broaden these limits, it seems logical to mention ethical issues. The specifics of their profession make ethical conduct especially important for nurses (American Nurses Association, 2011). Ethics is a significant part of a nurse practitioner’s education process and professional identity (Ramos et al., 2013). Therefore, a short notice concerning the minimal requirements for Florida nurses in this respect could also be included into NPA. For example, the Act could suggest a code of ethics that is considered advisable for Florida nurses.
References
American Nurses Association. (2011). Code of Ethics. Web.
Chapter 464: Nursing. In The 2015 Florida Statutes. (2015). Web.
Ramos, F., de Pires, D., Brehmer, L., Gelbcke, F., Schmoeller, S., & Lorenzetti, J. (2013). The discourse of ethics in nursing education: Experience and reflections of Brazilian teachers – Case study. Nurse Education Today, 33(10), 1124-1129. Web.