If You’re a Graduate Nurse in Texas, You Need to Know This
In order to protect and promote the welfare of the people, the State ensures that each person holding a license as a nurse is competent to practice safely. In Texas, each licensure candidate or newly licensed nurse is responsible to know and comply with the current Nursing Practice Act (NPA) and the Board Rules and Regulations. It is also the responsibility of each licensed nurse to maintain his/her knowledge of the most current NPA and Rules. When you receive the Board’s quarterly newsletter, make sure to read the most current regulations which can also be found in the website, www.bon.texas.gov.
After graduation from a nursing school, you may have applied for a graduate nurse position. By definition, “A graduate nurse (GVN or GN) is not yet “licensed,” and thus shall not be placed in supervisory or charge positions and shall not work in independent practice settings, such as home health. A licensure candidate (GVN or GN) must first achieve nursing licensure through passing the NCLEX-PN® or NCLEX-RN® prior to any consideration of employment involving charge nurse/nurse manager responsibilities or nursing in independent practice settings.”
The Board provides the following guidance to employers of recent graduates of LVN or RN programs:
- Once licensed, direct supervision should be continued for a period of six months, or a lesser time period if agreed upon by the newly licensed nurse and the supervising nurse. Competence to perform independently should be mutually determined by the new graduate and the supervising nurse and should be demonstrated and supported by documentation.
- New graduates are permitted to perform any function that falls within the scope of nursing practice for which they have received educational preparation and have demonstrated minimal competency.
- It is recommended that a newly licensed nurse not hold a position as a charge nurse or nurse manager for a period of six (6) months, unless a lesser time period is mutually agreed upon by the newly licensed nurse and the supervising nurse based upon the evaluation of competency of the newly licensed LVN or RN.
- It is recommended that a newly licensed nurse not practice in independent settings, such as home health, for a period of 12-18 months post-licensure to allow the new nurse sufficient practice experience in more structured settings in order to assimilate knowledge learned in school consistently into practice.
- In any practice setting where new graduates are employed, experienced nurses should be willing to supervise and mentor the new graduate.
Reference: Practice – Guidelines and Interpretive Guidelines. (n.d.). retrieved February 27, 2017 from .
Texas Gov
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