Title: Nurse Practice Act & Legal Aspects
Course: PRN 0096 Practical Nursing III > Section: Employment Seminar

Introduction

This module revisits the legal and ethical parts of nursing. Topics such as the Good Samaritan and negligence are discussed. In addition, the Nurse Practice Act and why it is important for the public is discussed

Objectives

Upon completion of this module, the student will be able to:

Explain why the practical nurse is responsible for his or her own acts, review the main provisions of the Florida Nurse Practice Act and why does this protect the public.
Differentiate between negligence and malpractice.
Discuss the purpose of "Good Samaritan Statutes".
Tell how nurses can assist in preventing malpractice lawsuits.
Define an ethical dilemma and the decision making process that can be applied in the clinical setting.

Standards

This Module maps to the following Standards:

30.0:   Demonstrate legal and ethical responsibilities specific to the nursing profession
43.02: Discuss F.S. 464 and the corresponding Rules
43.08: Discuss current legislation pertinent to the Florida Board of Nursing and its effect on your nursing practice.

Readings & Resources

Christensen & Kockrow, (2011), Foundations of Nursing, 6th edition, Pages 5, 11, 24-25, Chapter 2, and Pages from Chapter 41: 1249-1250, 1264

Additional Resources

Website: The Florida Board of Nursing  (http://www.floridasnursing.gov/) The Florida Nurse Practice Act  (http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0464/0464ContentsIndex.html&StatuteYear=2013&Title=-%253E2013-%253EChapter%20464)