RN & LPN Overview
The broadly written laws and rules allow nurses to practice to their full scope of practice in any setting. It is impossible for the WA Board of Nursing (WABON) to provide a comprehensive listing of the duties that licensed nurses are permitted to perform since nursing practice is reflective of the dynamic changes occurring in healthcare and society.
The Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 18.79 and Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 246-840 provide the statutory and legal basis of nursing practice. WABON provides advisory opinions interpretive statements, and guidance documents related to specific areas of the nursing practice.
Note: These documents do not constitute legal advice even though they are approved by WABON and offer professional nursing information and guidance in the state of Washington. You should contact your legal advisor for advice concerning any specific issue or problem.
Consistent Standards of Practice Subcommittee (CSPSC)
Purpose:
To advise, monitor, and recommend scope of practice processes, advisory opinions, interpretive statements, policy statements, general policies and procedures, commonly asked questions, other guidance documents, and requests for regulation review or formulation related to the registered nurse (RN), licensed practical nurse (LPN), nursing assistant (NA), and nursing technican (NT).
Membership: Chair appointed by the WABON Chair
- RN member of the WABON
- LPN member of the WABON
- Public member of the WABON
Duties and Responsibilities of the Subcommittee
- Establishes subcommittee meeting dates and times in consultation with the subcommittee members.
- Prepares and distributes the CSPSC agenda, in consultation with the chair following internal policies, procedures, and the Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA).
- Drafts responses to questions regarding scope of practice assigned by the WABON.
- Reviews practice standards, addresses requests for advisory opinions, interpretive statements, and other WABON approved documents.
- Reviews WABON policies, advisory opinions, policy statements, and other documents, and administrative rules as directed and scheduled by the WABON.
- Responds to the changing healthcare environment by addressing scope of practice issues and making recommendations to the WABON as appropriate.
- Provides recommendations and implements assigned responsibilities for the WABON Strategic Plan.
- Provides a comprehensive annual report to the Washington State Board of Nursing including activities, accomplishments, and opportunities for improvement.
Staff
- Nursing Practice Director
- Nursing Practice Consultant(s)
- Nursing Practice Administrative Assistant
- Staff Attorney