South Carolina Board of Nursing

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the scope of practice for an RN, LPN or APRN?

There is no one list for the scope of practice for nurses (APRN, RN or LPN).  You will find helpful information in our Nurse Practice Act, Position Statements, Advisory Opinions and Advisory Opinion Supplement on the Nursing Management of Invasive Devices.  Nursing, Practical Nursing (LPN), Registered Nursing (RN) and Advanced Practice Registered Nursing (APRN) are all defined in the Nurse Practice Act.  All of these documents are located under Law/Policies on our website ( http://www.llr.sc.gov/pol/nursing/).

Must I have a temporary permit to begin orientation?

A current South Carolina license or temporary license is required to practice nursing in this state.  Orientation is considered the practice of nursing in South Carolina. Therefore, all nurses must possess a current South Carolina license and/or temporary license before beginning orientation (including classroom instruction and reading policies and procedures). It is a violation of the Nurse Practice Act to begin orientation without the proper license and can result in action by the Board.  A temporary license authorizes practice in this state with privilege of title or abbreviation after name and is valid for sixty days.

School-Sponsored Out-of-State Trips:

Q:  I am a school nurse in South Carolina.  Students at my school are going on a school-sponsored field trip to another state.  What must I do in order to practice nursing in other states that we travel to and through?

1. SC school nurses are not required to notify the SC Board of Nursing when traveling to and through other states as part of a school-sponsored trip.
   
   
2. Local educational agencies should have policies and procedures for out-of-state trips.  If no policies and procedures exist, nurses should work with leadership and legal counsel in their local educational agency (e.g. school district, private school system, charter school system) to establish policies and procedures that address how students’ healthcare needs will be addressed on out-of-state trips.
   
   
3. When practicing nursing in another state, nurses must adhere to the nurse practice act in that state.  Prior to travel, seek guidance from the Board of Nursing in the state(s) through and to which travel is planned.  It is best to get guidance in writing.
   • Begin early; some processes may take several weeks to complete.  Complete and submit required paperwork/forms along with required fees if applicable.  Maintain copies for your records. 
   • Contacts for State Boards of Nursing are available on the National Council of State Boards of Nursing website at:  https://www.ncsbn.org/contactbon.htm
   • Even though SC is a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact, contact other Compact states to determine requirements for practice.  A map of Compact states is available on the National Council of State Boards of Nursing website at: https://www.ncsbn.org/nlc.htm
   • If an LPN is traveling as part of an out-of-state school-sponsored trip, the LPN and the supervising RN/RNs must seek permission to practice in the state(s) through and to which travel is planned.
     
     
4. Nurses must be familiar with the nursing practice laws and regulations of states through and to which travel is planned.  When practicing nursing in another state, nurses must adhere to the nurse practice act in that state. 
   
   
5.   When on the trip, have documents that support approval for nursing practice in each state readily available.
   
   
6. After the trip, if applicable, follow up with the Boards of Nursing in the states through/to which you traveled.
   
   
7. Resource that you may find helpful:
   National Association of School Nurses. June 2013. “School-Sponsored Trips, Role of the School Nurse” Available at: http://www.nasn.org/PolicyAdvocacy/PositionPapersandReports/NASNPositionStatements

Q: I am a school nurse in another state.  Students at my school will be traveling to South Carolina for a school-sponsored field trip.  What must I do to assure that I am able to practice nursing while the students are in South Carolina? 

1. Follow the steps below for securing approval from the SC Board of Nursing to practice nursing in SC during a school-sponsored trip. 
   • Begin early, the process may take several weeks.  The process varies depending upon whether your licensure state is a compact or non-compact state. 
   • A map of Compact states is available on the National Council of State Boards of Nursing website at: https://www.ncsbn.org/nlc.htm
     
   
   If you hold a current, active nursing license in another Nurse Licensure Compact state with multistate privileges, complete and submit the following form:
   
   Multi-state Licensure Privilege Notification Form  (no fee)
   http://www.llr.state.sc.us/pol/nursing/index.asp?file=pub.htm
   
   If your nursing license is from a non-Compact State, complete and submit one of the following forms along with the required fee:
   
   Registered Nurse (RN): Licensure by Endorsement Application 
   http://www.llr.state.sc.us/pol/nursing/index.asp?file=pub.htm
   (You may complete the paper or on-line application; note fee schedule on the application form)
   
   Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN): Licensure by Endorsement Application 
   http://www.llr.state.sc.us/pol/nursing/index.asp?file=pub.htm
   (You may complete the paper or on-line application; note fee schedule on the application form)
• Note that LPNs practicing in South Carolina’s school settings must practice under the supervision of an RN. If an LPN is traveling as part of an out-of-state school-sponsored trip, the LPN and the supervising RN/RNs must seek permission to practice in SC.
  
  
2. When practicing nursing in SC, nurses must follow the laws, regulations and policies governing nursing practice in the state of SC.  You may access the SC Nurse Practice Act Chapter 33 and other policies of the SC Board of Nursing on our website.  Advisory Opinions 33, 50, 51 and 52 specifically focus on some of the questions related to school nursing practice.  To access these documents, click on Laws/Policies at:  http://www.llr.state.sc.us/pol/nursing/index.asp?file=laws.htm
   
   
3. Local educational agencies should have policies and procedures for out-of-state trips.  If no policies and procedures exist, nurses should work with leadership and legal counsel in their local educational agency (e.g. school district, private school system, charter school system) to establish policies and procedures that address how students’ healthcare needs will be addressed on out-of-state trips.
   
   
4. The Board of Nursing in your home state may also have requirements that you must follow.
   
   
5. When on the trip, have documents that support approval for nursing practice in SC readily available.
   
   
6. Resource that you may find helpful:
   National Association of School Nurses. June 2013. “School-Sponsored Trips, Role of the School Nurse” Available at:
   http://www.nasn.org/PolicyAdvocacy/PositionPapersandReports/NASNPositionStatements