Registered Nurse/Licensed Practical Nurse

RN/LPN Laws & Rules

Registered Nurse (RN) Laws & Rules

Registered Nurse (RN) practice in North Carolina includes the full scope of nursing, with or without compensation or personal profit and that incorporates caring for all clients in all settings, as guided by the North Carolina Nursing Practice Act and related Administrative Code Rules. The scope of Registered Nurse practice is not defined by specific activities or tasks, but rather as a process, and is identified as independent and comprehensive. Registered Nurse practice includes assessing, planning and implementing nursing interventions and prescribed treatments for an individual, group, or community; as well as to evaluate responses to nursing care and treatment, and to collaborate with others as needed.

Also included in Registered Nurse practice in North Carolina is the clinical counseling and teaching of clients and professionals or those preparing to perform nursing functions. The management and administration of nursing services as regards the maintenance of health, prevention and management of illness, injury, disability of a client, or the achievement of a dignified death also falls within the Registered Nurse scope of practice.

Law & Rules
Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Laws & Rules

As defined in the North Carolina Nursing Practice Act and related Administrative Code Rules the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) practice involves a directed scope of nursing practice, with or without compensation or personal profit, under the supervision of a Registered Nurse, Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN), licensed physician or other healthcare practitioner authorized by the state, and as such is sometimes identified as a “dependent” practice. The Licensed Practical Nurse practice is guided by the North Carolina laws and rules, established nursing standards, agency policy, validated knowledge, skill and competency, the complexity and frequency of nursing care needed, and the accessible resources.

Each Licensed Practical Nurse in North Carolina is accountable to clients, the nursing profession and the Board of Nursing for complying with requirements under the North Carolina laws and rules. The Licensed Practical Nurse is accountable to ensure that quality nursing care is rendered.

Law & Rules

Position Statements & Decision Trees

Last Changed: 11-April-2024