Kentucky State Practice Act Related to NP Practice

Consider the Kentucky state practice act related to NP practice as you reviewed it in the previous module and on the AANP map as well as your state’s nursing board.  Write a 3-5-page paper about how the practice act for your state to encourage or discourages quality and effective patient care for a patient with co-morbid conditions.  Consider the below case.

A 35-year-old African-American male reports trouble with sleep for over 3 months.  He has trouble both falling and staying asleep.  He has increased his drinking habits at night to try and increase his sleepiness before bed.  He states he is drinking 1-2 beers every night before bed….

Kentucky State Practice Act Related to NP Practice

Nurse practitioners in Kentucky have four positions that include certified nurse practitioner, licensed registered nurse anesthetist certified nurse midwife Clinical nurse specialist. As per Kentucky Revised Statutes KRS 314.021(2), “All individuals licensed under the provisions of this chapter will be accountable and accountable for taking decisions based on the person’s education as well as experience in nursing, and should be able to practice nursing with reasonable proficiency and in a safe manner.” However, at the same time there are regulations for the Kentucky Administrative Regulations, 201 KAR 20:057, Section 3, states that “In the execution of advanced registered nursing practice advanced-practice registered nurse must consult or refer to situations that are outside of that of the registered nurse’s advanced area to practice” (Kentucky Board of Nursing-b 2022). This means that there is consideration about the level of care provided during the implementation process by ensuring that the education and certification requirements were sufficiently rigorous to ensure that the individual is competent in their field of specialization.

It is therefore possible to argue that it’s within this premise that it is not essential for nurse midwives or specialists in Kentucky to be under the supervision of a physician to be able to practice. While this may appear to be an open space for healthcare delivery but it raises different concerns concerning the completeness of healthcare. According to the definitions of the practice law in Kentucky, the nurse is defined as a person who “is licensed to practice advanced practice, registered to nurse under KRS 314.042, and is certified with at the very least one (1) specific population” (Kentucky Board of Nursing 2022). The word we must consider is “population-focused,” which is a limitation of this article. Given that the conditions of the patient suggest that they fall within the mental health spectrum issues, and may have comorbidities with addiction due to the need for strategies to manage their stress as well, the Kentucky advisory opinions applicable are AOS 12 to 16. (Kentucky Board of Nursing in 2018).