Law & Ethics
Free course
Version 1.0
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Ohio Nurse Practice Act (Category A) – 1 Hour Program

The purpose of this course is to provide healthcare professionals with an overview of Chapter 4723 of the Ohio Nurse practice Act and standards for competent nursing practice in Ohio.

Contact hours
1
Estimated time
88 minutes
Last reviewed

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About this course

This course provides an overview of safe nursing practice as described by the Ohio Nurse practice Act and the rules of the Ohio Revised Code; the legal parameter for evaluating and disciplining nurses within Ohio, including qualifications for licensure, the nurse’s scope of practice, nursing titles that can be used, and actions that can be taken against nurses who do not follow the nursing laws.

Learning objectives

  • Describe the Ohio Board of Nursing’s responsibilities.
  • List the licensing requirements to practice as a nurse in Ohio.
  • Discuss the standards for competent nursing practice of registered nurses and licensed practical nurses in Ohio.
  • Describe the standards for the promotion of patient safety by nurses in Ohio.
  • Explain common causes of practice failures resulting in disciplinary actions.

Course outline

22 sections · finish in any order across devices

  1. 1

    Introduction

    To provide safe patient care in Ohio, nurses must be knowledgeable of their responsibilities. The Ohio Board of Nursing, an agency of Ohio, is responsible for administering and enforcing Chapter 4723 of the Ohio Revised Code (ORC), the legislation that arose from the Nurse Practice Act. The practice

    4 min

  2. 2

    The Ohio Board of Nursing

    The Ohio Board of Nursing (BON) is both a regulatory board and a state government agency. Its main responsibility is to impose and enforce state laws related to nursing education, licensure, and practices.

    4 min

  3. 3

    Issue and renew nursing licenses, dialysis technician certificates, and community health worker certificates.

    Licensees and certificate holders regulated by the Board include APRNs (certified nurse midwives, certified nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, and certified registered nurse anesthetists), registered nurses (RN), licensed practical nurses (LPN), dialysis technicians, medication aides,

    4 min

  4. 4

    4723.03: Unlicensed Practice

    Engaging in practice as an advanced practice nurse, registered nurse, graduate nurse, licensed practical nurse, or using the acronyms APRN, CRNA, CNS, CNM, CNP, RN, or LPN without proper licensure is not allowed, as it would represent to the public that the person using the acronym is authorized to

    4 min

  5. 5

    Issue and renew nursing licenses, dialysis technician certificates, and community health worker certificates.

    Licensees and certificate holders regulated by the Board include APRNs (certified nurse midwives, certified nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, and certified registered nurse anesthetists), registered nurses (RN), licensed practical nurses (LPN), dialysis technicians, medication aides,

    4 min

  6. 6

    4723.09: License Application

    An applicant must apply for licensure by examination to practice as an RN or as an LPN. The application must include:

    4 min

  7. 7

    A nurse who applies to renew their nursing license must first complete 24 contact hours of continuing education, includi

    An LPN who has an active license as an RN in Ohio does not need to take continuing education to practice as an LPN.

    4 min

  8. 8

    Chapter 4723-4 of the Ohio Administrative Code

    Chapter 4723-4 of the Ohio Administrative Code is one of 19 chapters that establishes rules for the practice of nursing in in the state of Ohio, including the minimal acceptable standards for safe and effective nursing practice by registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and advanced practiced

    4 min

  9. 9

    4723-4-01: General Information

    4723-4 of the Ohio Laws and administrative rules establishes the minimal acceptable standards of safe and effective nursing practice for a registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, an advanced practice registered nurse; certified nurse-midwifes, certified nurse practitioners, certified registered

    4 min

  10. 10

    Recognizing, consulting, and intervening when a complication arises.

    The RN must implement an order for a patient, unless the order appears to be:

    4 min

  11. 11

    The training, skill, and knowledge of the LPN who will perform the duties.

    An RN must maintain the confidentiality of patient information and should only communicate patient information with other members of the patient’s health care team. To the maximum extent of the law, the RN must not disclose any patient healthcare information without the patient’s consent. Only in ac

    4 min

  12. 12

    Case Reflection

    Julie Andrews is a registered nurse with more than 20 years’ experience. She is a new hire in your hospital’s medical-surgical ward and has received an order to administer 50,000 units of heparin subcutaneously. She knows that the dosage is incorrect and chooses not to administer the medication. Bec

    4 min

  13. 13

    Recognize and intervene when a complication arises.

    Rule 4723-4-04 - Ohio Administrative Code | Ohio Laws

    4 min

  14. 14

    Case Reflection

    Amy Duong is an LPN in labor and delivery. She is working with a registered nurse, and one of her patients has requested pain medication. Amy notes that Morphine 4 mg intravenous is ordered, but the patient is nursing her newborn. Amy is concerned about administering the medication, and how it may a

    4 min

  15. 15

    4723-4-05: Standards Relating to Competent Practice as a Certified Nurse-Midwife, Certified Nurse Practitioner, Certifie

    A certified nurse-midwife, certified nurse practitioner, certified registered nurse anesthetist, or clinical nurse specialist must:

    4 min

  16. 16

    Not engage in any verbal or physical behavior deemed to be sexual in nature, as a patient is always presumed to be incap

    Only an RN can supervise or evaluate another nurse, however, outside of nursing practice, a non-nursing supervisor may evaluate a nurse employee. Supervision by an RN does not require that the RN be present on-site, but the RN must conduct enough on-site visits to evaluate another nurse's performanc

    4 min

  17. 17

    Case Reflection

    Cynthia Mickelson is a registered nurse working in a trauma center’s intensive care unit. She has just gotten a new admission, a celebrity who was involved in a car accident. Cynthia begins to review her patient’s medical notes, and then decides to see what the celebrity blogs are writing about the

    4 min

  18. 18

    4723-4-07: Standards for Applying the Nursing Process as a Registered Nurse

    A nurse must apply the nursing process when practicing nursing. The nursing process is cyclical and requires the nurse to respond to a patient's changing status throughout the process. This includes:

    4 min

  19. 19

    4723-4-08: Standards for Applying the Nursing Process as a Licensed Practical Nurse

    The LPN shall contribute to the nursing process when practicing nursing. The nursing process is cyclical and requires the nurse to respond to a patient's changing status throughout the process. The LPN must maintain the following standards during the nursing process:

    4 min

  20. 20

    4723-4-09: Specialty Certification

    A registered nurse with a current, valid license to practice nursing in Ohio may use a title or initials denoting specialty certification in a particular area of specialty in nursing that has been granted by a national certifying organization. The registered nurse may use initials following the titl

    4 min

  21. 21

    Multistate License

    Effective January 1, 2023, Ohio will become part of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC). The terms multistate license (MSL) and compact license are interchangeable when referencing NLC. A MSL will allow a nurse to practice in their home state and any other compact state, if the nurse’s license is not

    4 min

  22. 22

    Conclusion

    The Board is a government agency created by Ohio law to regulate the practice of nursing in Ohio for the safety of the public. The Ohio legislature enacts the Nurse Practice Act set forth in Chapter 4723 of the Ohio Revised Code, which fulfills the Ohio Board of Nursing’s mission in safeguarding the

    4 min

This course satisfies

    Requirement summaries come from our state requirement records. Always confirm details with your board before you renew.

    References and resources

    • Chapter 4723-4 - Ohio administrative code | Ohio laws. (n.d.). Ohio Laws. https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-administrative-code/chapter-4723-4
    • Chapter 4723 - Ohio revised code | Ohio laws. (n.d.). Ohio Laws. https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/chapter-4723
    • Laws & rules. (n.d.). Ohio Board of Nursing. https://nursing.ohio.gov/laws-rules/
    • Multistate licensure. (n.d.). Ohio Board of Nursing. https://nursing.ohio.gov/licensing-and-certification/multistate-licensure/multistate-licensure-sa

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