Beyond the Scope of Practice: Licensed Vocational (Practical) Nurses in Community Settings

This article presents the educational preparation of licensed vocational (practical) nurses (LVNs) in Texas and the boundaries of the LVN scope of practice before describing the case against an LVN for violating those boundaries. The recounting of the case includes the actions of the LVN during a home health visit, the basis of the complaint filed against her for practicing outside her scope of practice, the subsequent hearing before an administrative law judge (ALJ), and the conflicting findings by the ALJ and the board of nursing.