Beyond the Nurse Practice Act: Making a Difference through Advocacy

Abstract

Policy frames nursing practice in the most fundamental way: through state nurse practice acts (NPA) which date back over one hundred years in many states. NPAs frame nursing practice by defining a professional scope and educational requirements for practice. NPAs have not remained stagnant over the past century, rather they have evolved – but only with the active involvement of nurses in legislative efforts to change statute and update policies related to nursing practice. However, changing practice through policy does not stop with the NPA. This article will begin by briefly addressing the role of nurses in advocacy to advance professional practice, and offer background information about the changing healthcare industry that has influenced the example of advocacy we discuss. We offer exemplars that illustrate policies that regulate the environment of practice, such as nurse staffing, musculoskeletal injury prevention, and failure to advocate, and discuss needed protections, including whistleblower protections in our state. We conclude by considering implications for nursing organizations and nurses among these exemplars.