Tennessee Nurse Practice Act
Tennessee Nurse Practice Act was put in place with an aim of protecting health related issues of Tennessee residents. The act provides nursing board with authority of reviewing the qualifications of a nurse seeking application of a fitness certificate (Tennessee Board of Nursing, 2012). The authority are required to determine whether the applicant is competent and fit to handle nursing related roles. The training and educational qualifications are essential in reviewing the background of the applicant. After reviewing all the necessary documents the board issues the successful applicants with a certificate of practice. This certificate makes one qualified to handle all nursing roles.
Mezer states that Tennessee rules are not strictly followed compared to nursing rules in other states (Mezer, 2016). This is evident since the Registered nurses training in the State are not supervised by a physician. In the current practice, Tennessee nurses should be supervised minimally. However, the supervising physician is required to carry several site visits which are important (Mezer, 2016). The physician should also ensure that the nurse practitioners have access to chart reviews.
Further, in the current practice NPs in Tennessee are giving the chance of prescribing medications in presence of a physician. However, the prescription should include the names and contact information of both the nurse practitioner and the physician. Just like other states the NP’s is required to own a license in order to give prescriptions without supervision. According to (Mezer, 2016), Registered nurses in Tennessee can give prescription of controlled drugs. The laws of the State acknowledge that prescriptions that treat severe pain end up being abused by many patients. Registered nurses are therefore as to personal judgment when giving pain reliving prescriptions. Further, the nurses are asked to ensure that the patients receive full treatment.
In conclusion, it is clear that the Tennessee Nurse Practice Act is relevant in the current nursing practice. The paper has outlined the scope of practice of registered nursing and how the Tennessee laws fit in the current practice. It is clear that the Tennessee nursing laws are relevant in the current practice.
References
Mezer, B. (2016). Tennessee Nurse Extra- Edition 15. Retrieved March 2, 2018, from http://epubs.democratprinting.com/article/Nursing+Practice+Act/1365389/0/article.html
Tennessee Board of Nursing. (2012). Tennessee Board of Nursing Positions and Statements.