Tetrahydrocannabinol or ‘THC’ is the chemical in marijuana and hemp that is responsible for the plants’ psychological effects. Marijuana is legal either recreationally or medicinally in 37 states. North Carolina is one of the just 13 states where marijuana is still illegal. However, North Carolina has opted into the Hemp Act. Hemp Act is a …
Will Using Legal Products with THC Affect My NC Nursing License? Read More »
Properly recording a patient’s chart is essential for all healthcare providers. Since nurses are typically around a patient more than any other healthcare provider, failure to properly record a patient’s chart can happen more frequently than with other healthcare providers. A patient’s chart is what helps other nurses maintain proper treatment of the patient and …
How Can Nurses Avoid Patient Charting Errors in North Carolina? Read More »
The North Carolina Board of Nursing is required by state legislation to intervene when there is evidence that a nurse has an issue with substance abuse and is therefore unable to safely practice nursing. [G.S. 90-171.37(a)(3)]. Additionally, the NCBON has the power to mandate that recovering nurses participate in certain programs. This will help ensure …
Today’s discussion involves what a nurse should do if a patient falls while in their care. We will be talking about the four steps that nurses should take in response to a fall. Our discussion will also focus on what happens if a nurse does not follow the correct procedure. Patient care and the mitigation …
This is part four (4) of a five (5) part series titled the “5 biggest prescription errors that nurse practitioners can make”. Today we are discussing prescribing drugs and/or devices that are not included in the collaborative practice agreement. Only under certain circumstances, as discussed below, may a nurse practitioner prescribe a drug or device …
This is part one (1) of a five (5) part series titled the “5 biggest prescription errors that nurse practitioners can make”. Today’s blog discusses the individuals to whom a nurse practitioner cannot prescribe controlled substances. Since there has been a rise in prescription drug abuse in North Carolina in the last 10 years or …
Every year nurse practitioners (NPs) have to renew their approval to practice with the North Carolina Board of Nursing. Since nurse practitioners must also have an active NC nurse license, they must make sure that their registered nurse license in NC does not lapse. Renewal of a NC registered nurse license must be done prior to …
What Must Nurse Practitioners Do To Renew Their Approval To Practice in North Carolina? Read More »
Before nurse practitioners begin working with a supervising physician, they must enter into a collaborative practice agreement. The collaborative practice agreement (CPA) will stipulate as to what medical acts a nurse practitioner will perform. CPAs need to be specific as to what clinical problems the nurse practitioner may frequently encounter and what treatment the nurse practitioner …
When Are Nurse Practitioners Required To Confer With Their Supervising Physician? Read More »
In June 2017, North Carolina’s Opioid Action Plan took effect. The state has rolled out changes to schedule II & III prescription drug writing and dispensing requirement in stages. These changes are aimed at combating the opioid addiction that had plagued the state for years. If the state’s Opiod Action Plan is successful then it will save …
North Carolina STOP Act Opioid Prescription Changes in 2020 Read More »
#1: Create A Policy And Procedure For If Your Primary Supervising Physician Is Unavailable Due To An Emergency Emergencies sometimes happen. However, nurse practitioners must have a supervising physician available when they are seeing patients Your policies and procedures should start with the supervising physician being required to notify the NP and office staff of …
