Texas Nursing Law and Ethics

About this course

The Nursing Practice Act was codified as Chapter 301 of the Texas Occupations Code, which created laws for professional nurses and practice standards. The state of Texas recognized professional nursing after the NPA was passed, and soon afterward the Texas Board of Nursing was established. The board defines the requirements in education, licensure, and practice of nurses. This course provides an overview of the Nurse Practice Act and Texas Board of Nursing rules for nursing practice, and ethical considerations.

Learning objectives

• Describe the Nurse Practice Act
• Describe the functions of the Texas Board of Nursing
• Review requirements for nursing licensure in the state of Texas
• Identify prohibitive nursing practices
• Understand mandatory reporting requirements

Course outline

12 sections · finish in any order across devices

1. 1

   Introduction

   Prior to the early 1800s, nursing practice laws were nonexhistent.2 Nurses often worked in hospitals without proper guidance and were not licensed or registered.2 Because training and educational experiences varied between states, the need for organized training of professional nurses became apparen

   4 min

2. 2

   Nursing Practice Act

   The Nursing Practice Act (NPA, passed in March 1909, has been revised and amended multiple times, reflecting the changes in nursing.2 The Texas Board of Nursing (BON), formerly called the Board of Nurse Examiners, is responsible for licensing, regulating, and monitoring the status of licensed regist

   4 min

3. 3

   Texas Board of Nursing

   The Texas Board of Nursing consists of thirteen members appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Senate.1 All members are appointed without regard for race, disability, gender, color, sex, religion, or national origin.1

   4 min

4. 4

   Board Responsibilities

   The board is responsible for establishing and reinforcing rules to regulate the practice of professional and vocational nurses, establish standards of professional conduct for license holders, and determine whether an act is in line with the current nursing practice.1

   4 min

5. 5

   License Requirements and Renewal

   To get licensed as a registered nurse, the applicant must submit the following documents to the board: a complete and legible set of fingerprints to obtain criminal history record information from the Department of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.1

   4 min

6. 6

   Nursing Practice Act

   Each licensed candidate must understand and comply with the Nursing Practice Act (NPA) and the board’s rules and regulations.5 Among them, the standards of nursing practice and unprofessional conduct need to be reviewed in their entirety.5

   6 min

7. 7

   Reporting Violations

   The following are mandatory reports that nurses should make to the Board of Nursing (BON)1:

   4 min

8. 8

   Board Responsibilities Regarding Report

   After a report is received, the board needs to determine whether a nurse violated a rule that affected their ability to perform the practice of nursing because of impaired functionality by chemical dependency or diminished mental capacity and in which the nurse was suspected of committing a practice

   4 min

9. 9

   Prohibited Practices

   Certain prohibited practices, as outlined by the BON, include1:

   4 min

10. 10

    Penalty

    The board is required to impose a penalty on a person licensed or regulated who violates the rules and regulations.1 The amount of penalty should not exceed $5,000 for each violation and the amount of the penalty is based on the seriousness of the violation, including the nature and extent of the pr

    4 min

11. 11

    Nursing Peer Review Committee

    A nursing peer review committee is a committee established under the authority of1:

    4 min

12. 12

    Conclusion

    The Texas nursing law is a complete code of conduct for nurses, including the principles of nursing ethics and boundaries. The American Nurses Association Code of Ethics states that “The nurse’s primary commitment is to the patient, whether an individual, family, group, community, or population.” Ce

    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

• 22 Tex. Admin. Code § 217.11 - Standards of nursing practice. (n.d.). LII / Legal Information Institute. https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/texas/22-Tex-Admin-Code-SS-217-11
• Laws & rules - Rule changes. (n.d.). Welcome to the Texas Board of Nursing Website. https://www.bon.texas.gov/laws_and_rules_rule_changes.asp.html
• Texas Board of Nursing - History. (n.d.). Welcome to the Texas Board of Nursing Website. https://bon.texas.gov/history.asp.html
• Texas Board of Nursing - Laws & rules - Rules & regulations. (n.d.). Welcome to the Texas Board of Nursing Website. https://bon.texas.gov/laws_and_rules_rules_and_regulations.asp.html
• Texas Board of Nursing - Practice - Guidelines. (n.d.). Welcome to the Texas Board of Nursing Website. https://www.bon.texas.gov/practice_guidelines.asp.html#:~:text=Rule%20217.11%2C%20Standards%20of%20Nursing%20Practice%2C%20requires%20that%20when%20assignments
• Texasnurses.org. (n.d.). texasnurses.org. https://www.texasnurses.org/page/AboutTNA

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