Florida Laws and Rules for Nurses

Before the 1900s, no state retained a nursing practice act, and registration nor licensure was a requirement. Nurse practice acts have been around since the early 1900s, with the first nursing practice act being passed in South Carolina in 1903. Beginning with the Civil War, nursing practice began to expand because of an increase in hospitals and nursing programs. On June 7, 1913, Florida enacted their first Nurse Practice Act, which is used to outline nursing practice levels and establish practice guidelines. Chapter 464, 456, and title 64B9 Florida statutes regulate nursing practice.

Chapter 464, also known as the Nurse Practice Act, outlines specific laws safeguarding the practice and ensuring that nurses maintain compliance throughout licensure. Nurses who do not meet the minimum standard or pose a threat to safety will not be allowed to maintain licensure and may face disciplinary action. The Board of Nursing is the governing board that enforces these laws and regulations to maintain safe practice conditions and management disciplinary action rulings. In addition, chapter 456 lays the foundation for provisions listed in chapter 464. 456 directly lists specific laws to guide and safeguard health professions and occupations. These laws provide the minimum standard of practice for healthcare professionals and facilities, determining the appropriateness of certain practices.

Title 64B9 is a part of the Florida Administrative Code and Register, accounting for nursing education standards and requirements, and nursing practice standards and rules, including impaired nursing programming, continued education requirements, delegation management, and disciplinary proceedings. Each law and regulation is built to uphold the levels of nursing practice to a standard and direct patient care encounters to reduce safety issues. This course will provide an overview of each statute and title and assist nursing professionals in understanding the standard of nursing.