Selene Rodriguez
NUR 217-002
Assignment #1
NUR 218 Nursing Leadership and Role Transition
Professional Licensed Register Nurse Assignment
Instructions: Complete the following exercise. The assignment should be typed, 1-2 pages in length and followed APA
format.
Learning Objectives:
1.
2.
Define the scope of practice of the licensed registered nurse (RN) as defined by Illinois Department of Professional
and Financial Regulation (IDFPR).
Define the role and responsibilities of the RN within a healthcare team.
Chapter 3
Review the Illinois Nurse Practice Act, including the rule and regulations. Summarized the scope of practice
for LPN, RN, and APN and define the difference in the scope of practice. Describe why it is vital that you as
RN understand the distinctions. Describe why it is vital that you as nurse manager understand the
distinctions.
The Illinois Nurse Practice Act (IL-NPA) was put into place to protect the client’s health and defines the scope of
practice for all levels of nurses in order to ensure safe quality care. The IL-NPA states the distinct roles that each
health professional can perform within their scope of practice.
The scope of practice for an LPN includes conducting a focused nursing assessment, collaborating in the
development and modification of the RN’s or APRN’s comprehensive nursing plan of care for all types of patients.
Implementing aspects of the plan of care, participating in health teaching and counseling to promote, attain, and
maintain the optimum health level of patients, participating in the evaluation of patient responses to interventions,
communicating and collaborating with other health care professionals, and providing input into the development of
policies and procedures to support patent safety.
The scope of practice for an RN includes collecting pertinent data and information relative to the patients’ health or
the situation on an ongoing basis through the comprehensive nursing assessment, analyzing comprehensive nursing
assessment data to determine actual or potential diagnoses, problems, and issues, identifying expected outcomes for
a plan, implementing the identified plan, evaluating patient progress toward attainment of goals and outcomes,
delegating nursing interventions, providing health education and counseling, advocating for the patient, practicing
ethically according to the ANA code of ethics, teaching the theory and practice of nursing to student nurses, leading
within the professional practice setting and the profession, contributing to quality nursing practice, integrating
evidence and research findings into practice.
The scope of practice for an APN includes thee registered nurse scope of practices. In addition, the APN can perform
advanced nursing patient assessment and diagnosis, ordering diagnostic and therapeutic tests and procedures,
perform tests and procedures, interpret and use the results of diagnostic and therapeutic tests and procedures,
ordering treatments, providing palliative and end-of-life care, providing advanced counseling, patient education,
health education, and patient advocacy, prescriptive authority, delegating selected nursing interventions to a LPN,
RN, or other personnel.
It is vital as a nurse to understand the distinction between my scope of practice and other health professionals to
avoid any malpractice and to ensure safe patient care. Without having clear roles as the RN and a clear
understanding of what is within the scope of practice for an LPN or APN, I will not be able to dissever which task I
can safely delegate to the LPN or what task is out of my scope of practice and must be performed by an APN.
Selene Rodriguez
NUR 217-002
Assignment #1
Without being aware of these distinctions I risk losing my license due to incorrect delegation to a health professional
that was not qualified or performing a task that is out of my scope of practice.
As a nurse manager, it is crucial to be able to identify what task can be delegated to other health professionals.
Nurse managers are taking on a leadership role, that consist of overlooking other healthcare professionals and
delegating task designated to their scope of practice. Therefore, it is crucial as a nurse manager to recognize what
roles are qualified to perform specific task based upon their scope of practice.
Chapter 5
Review the state nurse practice act to identify the legal definition of nurse and nursing. What key words
suggest leadership?
The Illinois Nurse Practice Act (IL-NPA) identifies the legal definition of nurse and nursing as “Registered
Professional Nursing Practice” and further explains, “means a scientific process founded on a professional body of
knowledge that includes, but is not limited to, the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities,
prevention of illness and injury, development and implementation of the nursing plan of care, facilitation of nursing
interventions to alleviate suffering, care coordination, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, groups,
communities, and populations.”
Key words such as, “protection, promotion, and optimization of health” suggest leadership due to the responsibility
and pivotal roles a nurse must undertake in order to provide safe and effective client care. In order for a RN to
‘protect, promote, and optimize patient health’ a nurse must take the initiative to be a leader which entails critical
thinking, communication, collaboration and team building, teaching, and delegation.
Chapter 26
Using the acronym ROLES (p. 467-468), explain the steps you will take for your transition from nursing
students to RN.
The acronym ROLES can be used to explain the steps a nursing student must take to transition from a nursing
student to a licensed professional registered nurse. The ‘R’ stands for responsibilities – which refers to the
responsibilities that will be acquired with a change in identity as a licensed professional register nurse and will no
longer be practicing under an instructor’s license in the clinical setting. The ‘O’ stands for opportunities – as a new
licensed professional registered nurse there will be a lot of new job opportunities proposed to you. It is important to
know what I value and require for my satisfaction as an employee in order to identify which job opportunities are best
suited for my needs. The ‘L’ stands for lines of communication – which refers to making sure to keep into
consideration the ‘lines of communication’ with other medical health professionals when being unsure of nursing task
or making sure that the order of command is followed when trying to communicate issues or problems on the units.
For instance, if you witnessed a nurse who was constantly leaving their patients defecated and urinated for hours on
end, it is important to follow the lines of communication by reporting what you witnessed to your charge nurse and not
the nursing manager or the president of the hospital. The ‘E’ stands for expectations – are linked to your goals and
important to identify in order to know what it is you expect from your clinical experience at this new hospital facility.
The ‘S’ stands for support – as a newly graduate registered nurse it is important to have a strong support system
during some of the growing pains you may experience from a nursing student to RN transition. Family, peers, or
even someone who in the nursing field can be utilized as a support system. Having a nursing mentor can help you
navigate through these changes as well as give you critical feedback, guidance, and support to further evolve your
clinical practice.
Selene Rodriguez
NUR 217-002
Assignment #1
UAP = unlicensed assistive personnel = CNA
LPN = licensed practical nurse
RN = licensed registered nurse
APN = advanced practice nurse = advanced practice registered nurse
= advanced registered nurse practitioner (ARNP) *
note:
APN = registered professional nurse = advanced practice registered nurse = advanced registered nurse
practitioner = ARNP = APRN = NP *
ARNP = nurse practitioner with masters *
ADNP = nurse practitioner with doctorates *
LPN = LVN
Selene Rodriguez
NUR 217-002
Assignment #1
RESOURES:
Administrative Code. Part 1300 nurse practice act : Sections listing. (n.d.). Retrieved April 5, 2022, from
https://www.ilga.gov/commission/jcar/admincode/068/06801300sections.html
Adventures of the American mind. Adventure of the American Mind - GSU. (n.d.). Retrieved April 5, 2022,
from http://aam.govst.edu/projects/scomer/student_page2.html
Illinois General Assembly - Illinois Compiled Statutes. 225 ilcs 65/ nurse practice act. (n.d.). Retrieved April 5,
2022, from
https://ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?DocName=022500650HArt.%2B50&ActID=1312&ChapterID
=24&SeqStart=13100000&SeqEnd=14800000