Comparison of APRN Board of Nursing Regulations: Michigan vs. Ohio
Application to Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) are highly skilled and educated professionals integral to the healthcare system. Their licensure, postgraduate education, and training in nursing, which can be at the master’s, post-master, or doctoral level, along with national board certification, are all essential for their entry-level practice (Clarke, 2023). Each state has its regulations that must be followed.
My practicing state is Michigan. I’ve considered obtaining a license in Ohio since I’m so close to the border. Michigan and Ohio are both considered to be restricted practice states, which means APRNs have a significant level of autonomy, empowering them to make independent decisions in their practice. However, they must have a collaborative agreement with a physician to practice. The Standard Care Arrangement, applicable in both states, is a written agreement that defines the scope of practice, including guidelines for diagnosing and treating patients between the APRN and collaborating physician APRN Board of Nursing Regulations Michigan vs Ohio.
The Standard Care Arrangement will also outline prescriptive authority. In both states, APRNs can prescribe scheduled II-V substances; however, guidelines differ with Schedule II medications. In Ohio, Schedule II medications are regulated by the Board of Nursing and can only be given in specific settings (Ohio Board of Nursing, 2022). An APRN is permitted to prescribe Schedule II controlled substances if the patient has a terminal condition or if the supervising physician initially prescribed the medication, and the prescription is restricted to the amount needed for the patient’s use within a single 24-hour period (Ohio Board of Nursing, 2022). In Michigan, only a Standard Care Arrangement is needed with a physician to prescribe Schedule II medications, which are not as strict as Ohio guidelines. Understanding these differences will ensure that you are knowledgeable and aware of the regulations in each state.
Examples of How APRNs Adhere to Regulations
APRNs must adhere to regulations. This ensures not only compliance but also professionalism in your practice. Understanding and following the regulations in each state is vital to the APRN’s role. After reviewing the regulations, it was found that license renewal requirements for each state have some slight differences. These differences are significant, and it is important for APRNs to be aware of them. Both states require the APRN to obtain continuing education credits. In Michigan, two of those hours are focused on pain and symptom management, and one hour on medication management of controlled substances. One of the differences in Ohio is that if the APRN has prescriptive authority, they must have 12 hours of advanced pharmacology credits and one hour focused on laws and regulations.
References
Clarke, E. (2023, November 10).
Nurse practitioner practice authority: A State-by-state guide
. NurseJournal. https://nursejournal.org/nurse-practitioner/np-practice-authority-by-state/
Michigan Board Of Nursing. (2019).
Nursing Policy
. Michigan.gov. https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/doing-business/providers/nursing/nursing-policy
Ohio Board of Nursing. (2022).
Nursing Practice and Scopes of Practice
. Ohio.gov. https://nursing.ohio.gov/resources-for-practice-and-prescribing/resources/01-nursing-practice-and-scopes-of-practice APRN Board of Nursing Regulations Michigan vs Ohio
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