Vermont Nurse Practice Act: Facility Guide
Every nursing professional is responsible for delivering care that falls within the boundaries of their training and scope of practice. To uphold these standards, each state maintains its own set of laws that guide nurses in fulfilling their appropriate duties. In Vermont, these laws are outlined in the Vermont Nurse Practice Act (NPA).
The overarching purpose of the Vermont NPA is to ensure that patients receive safe and competent nursing care. It’s important for facility leaders to familiarize themselves with these guidelines and enforce accurate care protocols among their teams. In this article, we’ll provide an overview of the Vermont NPA and outline helpful tips for promoting compliance.
The Nurse Practice Act of Vermont at a Glance
All of the state’s nursing rules and regulations are enforced by the Vermont Board of Nursing. Practice act regulations outline essential information regarding credentialing, scope of practice, and delegation for the following levels of nursing:
- Registered nurses (RNs)
- Licensed practical nurses (LPNs)
- Advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs)
The table below summarizes key aspects of the NPA, with links to additional resources that can help you apply these guidelines in practice.
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| Legal Authorities | Vermont Statutes: |
| Nursing Licensure Requirements | In Vermont, RNs and LPNs can get licensed by examination or endorsement.
Steps to receive licensure by examination:
Steps to receive licensure by endorsement:
More information about licensure renewal can be found directly on the Board of Nursing’s website. |
| Scope of Practice Guidelines | While the Vermont NPA does not explicitly define what tasks RNs and LPNs can and cannot do, it more broadly defines their scope of practice.
The Vermont RN scope of practice includes:
The Vermont LPN scope of practice includes:
The Vermont nurse practitioner scope of practice reflects a full practice authority model, meaning that nurse practitioners can practice independently. However, nurse practitioners with less than 24 months and 2,400 hours of active practice must enter a collaborative agreement with a licensed physician or an experienced APRN. |
| Vermont Nurse Practice Act
Delegation Rules |
RNs and LPNs have the authority to delegate care tasks as long as they’re not violating any other sections of the NPA. The Board of Nursing has published a position statement clarifying that delegation decisions should be based on:
In general, RNs and LPNs are prohibited from delegating tasks that require nursing judgment. This includes patient assessment, care planning, and evaluation of care. |
| Violations and Penalties | Anyone who violates the NPA can face civil penalties of up to $5,000 and other disciplinary actions imposed by the Board. Examples of violations include:
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| Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) State? | Vermont is part of the NLC, meaning that nurses within the state can practice according to the rules and guidelines established by the NLC. |
Improving NPA Compliance: 3 Tips for Facilities
Now that you have a better understanding of how the Vermont Nurse Practice Act works, you may be seeking ways to uphold these provisions at your facility. Here are three ways that you can support your staff and build a better culture of safety.
1. Protect Your Facility From Uncredentialed Nurses
Employing unlicensed nurses is a violation of the NPA, so it’s important to have thorough screening processes in place when hiring new staff. Although rare, some nurses may try to use fake credentials to obtain nursing jobs. Make sure that you take steps to credential all of your potential candidates and verify all licenses through the Secretary of State on an ongoing basis. You should also stay alert of any resume red flags and report any suspicious behavior to the Board of Nursing.
2. Establish Clear Delegation Protocols
Delegation requires sound decision-making and collaboration between unit leaders and nursing staff. While the NPA establishes general delegation guidelines, facilities are responsible for shaping and implementing more specific policies at the institutional level. At baseline, these policies should include:
- Guidance on what type of tasks can be delegated to whom.
- A list of nursing tasks that should not be delegated.
- Evidence-based resources to inform decision-making, such as the five rights of delegation.
3. Use the Board’s Position Statements to Inform Decision-Making
The Board of Nursing regularly publishes position statements to clarify what’s outlined in the NPA. While these statements are not legally binding, they’re a helpful resource for facility leaders seeking more guidance on specific aspects of nursing practice. Topics range from things like medication administration and intravenous therapy to delegation and scope of practice decision-making. You can find a full list of position statements on the Secretary of State’s Public Document Repository.
Stay Informed and Prepared to Support Your Nursing Team
Guidelines in the Vermont Nurse Practice Act are constantly evolving, and staying informed is a crucial way to help your teams deliver quality care. Stay ahead of the latest nursing news and get expert-written healthcare management insights delivered straight to your inbox.
Legal Disclaimer: This article contains general legal information, but it is not intended to constitute professional legal advice for any particular situation and should not be relied on as professional legal advice. Any references to the law may not be current, as laws regularly change through updates in legislation, regulation, and case law at the federal and state level. Nothing in this article should be interpreted as creating an attorney-client relationship. If you have legal questions, you should seek the advice of an attorney licensed to practice in your jurisdiction.