In the United States, every state has laws that govern the nursing practices in the area. The guidelines and regulations are well-defined in the Nursing Practice Act (NPA). Each state then interprets the laws and the nursing board within its territory that has the mandate to enforce these laws and govern nursing care practices (Huynh & Haddad, 2020). Many states in America have territorial boards of nursing (BON) that are given the power to control their NPA (Lockhart, 2020). While NPA guidelines help maintain ethical nursing practices, this essay will be focused on reflecting on the Colorado state Nursing practice Act.
The NPA is a law that works with the governing rules and regulations to ensure that safe nursing practices are conducted in Colorado state. The act offers guidelines on how safe nursing practices should be conducted. Included in the NPA in the state of Colorado are the disciplinary procedures, the delegation of law, the requirements that are needed for licensure and prospective authority, laws on the establishment of the BON, its functions and its composition, and the definitions of “The Practice of Professional Nursing” (Colorado Nursing Association, 2021). The NAP laws are enforced in the state by the Board of Nursing (BON). In this state, the board of nursing and others are governed by the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA). The Board of Nursing is mandated to protect the people of Colorado from harm by ensuring that safe nursing is practiced.
I did not know that all the regulatory agencies are re-evaluated in Colorado after every ten years. This re-evaluation is conducted to determine whether their existence is for the greater good of the public. The Colorado Office of Policy Research and Regulatory Reform (COPRRR) evaluates these agencies. As a manager, this knowledge assists in determining what is considered a safe nursing practice in the state. With this knowledge, it is easier for an individual or an organization to act in the best interest of Colorado regarding safe nursing practices.
References
Colorado Nursing Association. (2021). Colorado Nurses Association: 100 for 100 Initiative. Coloradonurses.org.
Huynh, A., & Haddad, L. (2020). Nursing Practice Act. Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
Lockhart, L. (2020).Nurse practice acts and the provision of safe, competent care.