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ToggleAssignment: Describe the differences between a board of nursing and a professional nurse association
Nursing is a very highly regulated profession. There are over 100 boards of nursing and national nursing associations throughout the United States and its territories. Their existence helps regulate, inform, and promote the nursing profession. With such numbers, it can be difficult to distinguish between BONs and nursing associations, and overwhelming to consider various benefits and options offered by each.
Both boards of nursing and national nursing associations have significant impacts on the nurse practitioner profession and scope of practice. Understanding these differences helps lend credence to your expertise as a professional. In this Assignment, you will practice the application of such expertise by communicating a comparison of boards of nursing and professional nurse associations.
You will also share an analysis of your state board of nursing.
To Prepare:
- Assume that you are leading a staff development meeting on regulation for nursing practice at your healthcare organization or agency.
- Review the NCSBN and ANA websites to prepare for your presentation.
The Assignment: (9- to 10-slide PowerPoint presentation)
Develop a 9- to 10-slide PowerPoint Presentation that addresses the following:
- Describe the differences between a board of nursing and a professional nurse association.
- Describe the geographic distribution, academic credentials, practice positions, and licensure status of members of the board for your specific region/area.
- Who is on the board?
- How does one become a member of the board?
- Describe at least one federal regulation for healthcare.
- How does this regulation influence delivery, cost, and access to healthcare (e.g., CMS, OSHA, and EPA)?
- Has there been any change to the regulation within the past 5 years? Explain.
- Describe at least one state regulation related to general nurse scope of practice.
- How does this regulation influence the nurse’s role?
- How does this regulation influence delivery, cost, and access to healthcare?
- Describe at least one state regulation related to Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs).
- How does this regulation influence the nurse’s role?
- How does this regulation influence delivery, cost, and access to healthcare?
Required Referances
Milstead, J. A., & Short, N. M. (2019). Health policy and politics: A nurse’s guide (6th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
- Chapter 4, “Government Response: Regulation” (pp. 57–84)
American Nurses Association. (n.d.). ANA enterprise. Retrieved September 20, 2018, from http://www.nursingworld.org
Bosse, J., Simmonds, K., Hanson, C., Pulcini, J., Dunphy, L., Vanhook, P., & Poghosyan, L. (2017). Position statement: Full practice authority for advanced practice registered nurses is necessary to transform primary care. Nursing Outlook, 65(6), 761–765.
Halm, M. A. (2018). Evaluating the impact of EBP education: Development of a modified Fresno test for acute care nursing. Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing, 15(4), 272–280. doi:10.1111/wvn.12291
National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). (n.d.). Retrieved September 20, 2018, from https://www.ncsbn.org/index.
htm Neff, D. F., Yoon, S. H., Steiner, R. L., Bumbach, M. D., Everhart, D., & Harman J. S. (2018). The impact of nurse practitioner regulations on population access to care. Nursing Outlook, 66(4), 379–385. doi:10.1016/j.outlook.2018.03.
001
Sample Expert Answer
- Understanding regulation of nursing profession is important given the nature of the field. There are different organizations which participate in regulating and advancing the nursing practice, knowing each of the organizations and their roles is important. In the US, there are over 100 boards of nursing (BONs) and professional nursing associations.
- Understanding their roles will help nurses enjoy the full benefits offered by the organizations.
- The purpose of this presentation is to provide details on how the nursing practice is regulated and the roles of both BONs and professional nursing associations in regulating and advancing the nursing practice.
With the vast number of both board of nursing (BONs) and nursing associations, one can get confused about their respective roles in governing nursing practice. Both of these organizations have clear differences in terms of their mandate which are outlined as follows.
- Board of Nursing
- BONs are responsible for regulating nursing practice and protecting the public from unqualified or rogue nurses and ensuring that licensed nurses provide safe and competent care.
- BONs also do not participate in legislation making including lobbying , instead they only implement the formulated legislation as pertains to nursing practice.
- BONs are government entities formed by the different state governments and one national board having membership picked from the other state BONs (59 state BONs and one national),
- Professional Nurse Associations
- Nursing associations are responsible for advocating for nurses interests and advancing the nursing profession (Benton et al., 2017).
- Nursing association play an active role in representing their members in legislative process, including lobbying political players to support the interests of the nurses and the nursing practice (Milstead & Short, 2019).
- Nursing associations are private entities with membership requiring annual subscriptions.
The Mississippi board of nursing, currently headed by Alton Shaw (FNP), is a thirteen member board comprising of 2 nurse educators, 3 registered nurses in clinical practice, two of which should have as basic nursing preparation an associate degree or diploma and 1 to have at least baccalaureate nursing degree.
Another board member is 1 registered nurse at large,1 Registered nursing practitioner, 4 licensed practical nurse, 1 licensed physician who shall always be a member of the State Board of Medical Licensure, 1 representative of consumers of health services
The membership should come from each congressional districts in the State of Mississippi. These rules are as outline in the Mississippi Nursing Practice Act amended in 2016.
According to the Mississippi Nurse and practice Act, under the establishment of the board guidelines, for one to become a board member in the Mississippi Board of Nursing, other than the member from the State Board of Medical Licensure have to be appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate.
The list of nominees forwarded to the governor for consideration are usually submitted by the relevant nursing associations in Mississippi with each slot in list containing three names for consideration. If such a list is not submitted to the governor, then he/she can make the appointments without nomination The term for members in the board is four years with the term limit being no more than two consecutive terms.
Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) is a federal regulation which came as part of the Affordable Care Act package. The regulation in conformance with the Medicare value-based system, requires CMS to reduce payments to health care facilities with huge numbers of patient readmissions allowing only certain conditions like cardiac failure, pneumonia, among others (McIlvennan et al., 2015).
How does this regulation influence delivery, cost, and access to healthcare
The regulation links the payment of health care services to the quality of services offered. The regulation gives incentive to care facilities to enhance involvement, coordination of care and communication between patients and care providers when planning for post discharge care.
The regulation focuses on patient outcomes instead of the care processes due to the fact that care givers will do their best to prevent readmissions for better pay (McIlvennan et al., 2015). With low readmissions, the overall cost of health care services will reduce. So far, since the institution of regulation, no changes has been made to it.
According to Chapter 41 Minimum Standards of Operation for Mississippi Hospitals, Subchapter 30 on nursing, the regulation stipulates that hospitals to maintain an organized nursing staff to provide quality care to patients.
The state regulation selected first requires that nurses working in a hospital provides high quality services when tending to patient needs and that the mandate to regulate professional conduct of nurses lies squarely on the hospitals. This regulation also put the nurses to be in charge of the nursing service.
Therefore, the leadership role of nurses rests on nurses themselves and not other professional.
By implementing this regulation, hospitals will be required to employ competent nurses who will in turn provide quality care to patients. similarly, with quality care enhanced with proper nursing leadership, patient readmissions, and adverse outcomes will be reduced making the overall cost incurred by patients to go down (Salmond & Echevarria, 2017).
The Mississippi scope of practice policy under Mississippi Nursing Practice Law §73-15-20(3) regulates the practice authority of APRNs. Mississippi is still not a full practice state, though the nursing associations are advocating to change this trend.
In the regulation, nurse practitioners. The regulation talks about the collaboration between a nurse practitioner and a physician to some extent, this regulation has been termed to be restrictive in allowing APRNs to practice in full scope of their capabilities, which has affected various aspects in delivery of health care services.
Due to the regulation as outlined in the Mississippi Nursing Practice Law §73-15-20(3), the access to care, especially in the underserved rural and urban areas is restricted (Neff et al., 2018). This is due to lack of utilization of APRNs to full scope of their abilities. Due to duplication of roles between APRNs and physicians, lower efficiency in delivery of care is observed.
The costs of health care have also remained high because of the unnecessary oversight by physicians and duplication of roles (Milstead & Short, 2019). Therefore, it is high time that the relevant organs consider amending the regulation to allow full practice of nurse practitioners in Mississippi.
This presentation has covered different areas including BONs and associations and their differences. The presentation has also described the composition of the Mississippi BON. The presentation has also talked about how regulation of the nursing practice is conducted from the federal to the state level including regulation of APRNs.
From the collected information, it can be concluded that the outlined aspects play a pivotal role in dictating the scope of nursing practice.
■Benton, D. C., Thomas, K., Damgaard, G., Masek, S. M., & Brekken, S. A. (2017). Exploring the differences between regulatory bodies, professional associations, and trade unions: An integrative review. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 8(3), 4-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2155-8256(17)30154-0
■Milstead, J. A., & Short, N. M. (2019). Health policy and politics: A nurse’s guide (6th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Chapter 4, “Government Response: Regulation” (pp. 57–84)
■McIlvennan, C. K., Eapen, Z. J., & Allen, L. A. (2015). Hospital readmissions reduction program. Circulation, 131(20), 1796–1803. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.114.010270
■Neff, D. F., Yoon, S. H., Steiner, R. L., Bumbach, M. D., Everhart, D., & Harman J. S. (2018). The impact of nurse practitioner regulations on population access to care. Nursing Outlook, 66(4), 379–385. doi:10.1016/j.outlook.2018.03.001
■Nursing Practice Act, MS, ST, § 73-15-9 (2016)
■Salmond, S. W., & Echevarria, M. (2017). Healthcare Transformation and Changing Roles for Nursing. Orthopedic nursing, 36(1), 12–25. https://doi.org/10.1097/NOR.0000000000000308
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Board of Nursing vs Professional Nurse Association: Guide to Understanding the Key Differences
The nursing profession is governed by two distinct yet complementary organizational structures: state boards of nursing and professional nursing associations. While both play crucial roles in shaping nursing practice and advancing the profession, they serve fundamentally different purposes and operate under different mandates. Understanding these differences is essential for nurses, nursing students, and healthcare administrators navigating the complex landscape of nursing regulation and professional development.
What is a Board of Nursing?
A board of nursing (BON) is a regulatory body established by state government to protect public health, safety, and welfare through the regulation of nursing practice. Each state board of nursing establishes particular requirements for nursing licensure, education, and practice standards within their jurisdiction.
Key Functions of Boards of Nursing
Regulatory Authority: Boards of nursing operate under state law and have legal authority to:
- Issue nursing licenses
- Establish minimum educational requirements
- Define scope of practice
- Investigate complaints and disciplinary actions
- Approve nursing education programs
Public Protection Focus: The BoN regulates nurses, advocates for the people (public) and has no political agenda. Their primary mission is ensuring public safety through competent nursing practice.
Legal Enforcement: Boards have the power to suspend, revoke, or restrict nursing licenses for violations of practice standards or legal requirements.
What is a Professional Nurse Association?
Professional nursing associations are voluntary membership organizations that advocate for nurses and advance the nursing profession. nursing associations differ in that they are professional membership organizations that are private; requiring members to pay dues in order to enjoy the benefits of membership.
Key Functions of Professional Nursing Associations
Professional Advocacy: The ANA advocates for nurses and is very active in the political arena, working to improve working conditions, salary, and professional recognition.
Education and Development: Associations provide continuing education, certification programs, and professional development opportunities for members.
Policy and Standards: They develop professional standards, practice guidelines, and position statements on healthcare issues.
Networking and Support: Associations offer networking opportunities, mentorship programs, and peer support for professional growth.
Key Differences Between Boards of Nursing and Professional Nursing Associations
Aspect | Board of Nursing | Professional Nursing Association |
---|---|---|
Purpose | Regulatory body protecting public safety | Professional organization advocating for nurses |
Authority | Legal/governmental authority | Professional/voluntary authority |
Membership | Mandatory for licensure | Voluntary membership |
Funding | Government funded/license fees | Member dues and donations |
Focus | Public protection | Professional advancement |
Scope | State-specific regulation | Local, national, or international |
Enforcement | Legal disciplinary actions | Professional standards and ethics |
Political Activity | Limited/non-partisan | Active political advocacy |
Geographic Distribution and Structure
Board of Nursing Distribution
Each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories maintains its own board of nursing. General geographic data of nurses residing in Washington state demonstrates how state boards collect and analyze workforce data within their jurisdictions.
Regional Variations:
- Some states have unified boards regulating all nursing levels
- Others maintain separate boards for different nursing categories
- Multi-state licensing compacts allow practice across state lines
Professional Association Structure
Professional nursing associations operate at multiple levels:
National Level:
- American Nurses Association (ANA) – largest national organization
- Specialty organizations (e.g., American Association of Critical-Care Nurses)
State Level:
- State constituent members of national associations
- Independent state nursing organizations
Local Level:
- District nursing associations
- Hospital-based nursing organizations
Academic Credentials and Educational Requirements
Board of Nursing Educational Standards
Boards of nursing establish minimum educational requirements for licensure:
Entry-Level Education:
- Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) – minimum for RN licensure
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) – increasingly preferred
- Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) programs – typically 12-18 months
Continuing Education:
- Mandatory CE hours for license renewal (varies by state)
- Specialized training requirements for certain practice areas
Professional Association Educational Initiatives
Professional associations promote higher education standards:
BSN in 10 Initiative: Many associations advocate for BSN as entry-level requirement by 2030 Advanced Practice: Support for doctoral-level preparation for advanced practice nurses Specialty Certification: Development of certification programs for specialized practice areas
Practice Positions and Licensure Status
Current Nursing Workforce Demographics
Recent data from the 2024 National Nursing Workforce Survey reveals significant insights about the nursing profession:
Gender Distribution: In 2024, women continued to account for a majority of RNs (89%) and LPNs/LVNs (91%). Men, in contrast, accounted for 10% of RNs and 9% of LPNs/LVNs
Age Distribution: Female RNs were evenly distributed across age groups, with the highest number of female nurses being in the oldest age group (65 years and older). In contrast, male and nonbinary nurses were more common in younger age groups
Racial/Ethnic Diversity: From 2017 to 2022, those who identified as White/Caucasian decreased from 80.8% to 80%. Nurses who reported being Asian decreased from 7.5% to 7.4%
Licensure Statistics by Region
Region | Active RN Licenses | Growth Rate (2022-2024) | Average Salary |
---|---|---|---|
Northeast | 850,000 | 2.1% | $85,000 |
Southeast | 1,200,000 | 3.2% | $75,000 |
Midwest | 750,000 | 1.8% | $73,000 |
West | 950,000 | 2.8% | $98,000 |
Southwest | 600,000 | 3.5% | $82,000 |
Note: Statistics represent approximate figures based on available data
Employment Outlook and Market Trends
The nursing profession continues to experience significant growth and transformation:
Job Growth: Employment of registered nurses is projected to grow 6 percent from 2023 to 2033, faster than the average for all occupations
Salary Trends: The median annual wage for registered nurses was $93,600 in May 2024
Market Size: the market reaching $692.1 billion in 2024 and $753.3 billion in 2025
Regional Analysis: Board Composition and Membership
Board of Nursing Membership Composition
State boards of nursing typically consist of:
Professional Members:
- Licensed registered nurses (majority)
- Licensed practical/vocational nurses
- Advanced practice registered nurses
Public Members:
- Consumer representatives
- Public health professionals
- Legal professionals
Educational Representatives:
- Nursing education administrators
- Faculty members from nursing programs
Professional Association Membership
Professional nursing associations maintain diverse membership bases:
Membership Categories:
- Active practitioners
- Retired nurses
- Student nurses
- Associate members (non-nurses)
Geographic Representation:
- Rural vs. urban practice settings
- Various healthcare delivery systems
- International members
Impact on Nursing Practice and Patient Care
Regulatory Impact
Boards of nursing directly influence patient safety through:
- Licensing standards ensuring competency
- Disciplinary actions removing unsafe practitioners
- Scope of practice definitions protecting patients
- Educational program approval maintaining quality
Professional Development Impact
Professional associations enhance nursing practice through:
- Evidence-based practice guidelines
- Professional development opportunities
- Advocacy for improved working conditions
- Research funding and dissemination
Collaboration and Relationship Between Organizations
Despite their different roles, boards of nursing and professional associations often collaborate:
Joint Initiatives:
- Workforce planning and development
- Public health emergency response
- Professional standards development
- Educational program enhancement
Shared Goals:
- Advancing nursing practice
- Ensuring patient safety
- Promoting professional excellence
- Addressing healthcare challenges
Future Trends and Challenges
Emerging Issues
Technology Integration:
- Telehealth regulation across state lines
- AI and automation in nursing practice
- Electronic health record competencies
Workforce Challenges:
- Nursing shortage mitigation
- Diversity and inclusion initiatives
- Mental health and workplace wellness
Educational Evolution:
- Simulation-based learning standards
- Interprofessional education requirements
- Lifelong learning frameworks
Conclusion
Understanding the distinction between boards of nursing and professional nursing associations is crucial for navigating the nursing profession effectively. While boards of nursing serve as regulatory guardians protecting public safety through licensing and oversight, professional nursing associations champion the advancement of the profession and advocate for nurses’ interests.
Both organizations play vital roles in maintaining nursing’s integrity, promoting excellence in practice, and ensuring the profession continues to evolve to meet society’s healthcare needs. For nurses and nursing students, engaging with both types of organizations—meeting regulatory requirements while actively participating in professional associations—provides the foundation for a successful and impactful nursing career.
The complementary relationship between regulatory oversight and professional advocacy creates a robust framework that serves both the public good and the nursing profession’s advancement. As healthcare continues to evolve, the collaboration between these organizations will remain essential for addressing emerging challenges and opportunities in nursing practice.