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Nurses (licensed practical) regulation

Part 1: Introduction

In December 2015, the BC government signed into law a revised Nurses (Licensed Practical) Regulation.​ BCCNM has established standards, limits and conditions to complement the Regulation.

What you nee​​d to know

  • You can stay up to date by reading and checking BCCNM's website​ and newsletters
  • ​Contact BCCNM if you are an LPN who is carrying out activities that are not included in this document

Regulat​or​y framework

The 2015 Regulation sets out a new regulatory framework for LPNs in BC. Several fundamental changes impact the way LPNs practise in BC.

1. LPNs can carry​​ out orde​rs from nine different health professionals:

  • Dentists
  • Medical doctors
  • Midwives
  • Naturopaths
  • Nurse practitioners
  • Pharmacists
  • Podiatrists
  • Registered nurses
  • Registered psychiatric nurses

LPN​​s are only allowed to act on a client-specific order from an authorized health professional who is registered to practise in British Columbia, except where the client has been transferred from Alberta, Yukon or the Northw​​est Territories for emergency treatment in British Columbia. In addition, an order for an LPN to cast a fracture of a bone may only ever be given by a physician or nurse practitioner who is registered in British Columbia.

2. LPNs ha​​ve a degree of autonomous practice, which they never had in the past:

  • LPNs​​ make a nursing diagnosis of a condition before determining an appropriate plan of care.

  • LPNs​ are authorized to treat respiratory distress in a known asthmatic, anaphylaxis and hypoglycemia.

3. ​​​LPNs are​ authorized to carry out restricted activities and need to know which restricted activities require an order and which restricted activities do not.​

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