FLORIDA NURSING LAW MANUAL
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© Copyright 2008 by Nursing Law Manual, LLC and George F. Indest III, Altamonte Springs, Florida, U.S.A. All rights reserved.
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imposed on RNVs and has not committed any of the violations set forth above. Also, commission of or
investigation for any act that would constitute grounds for disciplinary action as set forth above may result
in denial of an RNV certificate.
Once a RNV has received certification, further restrictions are imposed on their practice. The
RNV is required to work under the direct supervision of the director of a county health department, a
physician working under a limited license issued pursuant to Section 458.317, Florida Statutes, or Section
459.0075, Florida Statutes, a physician licensed under chapter 458 or chapter 459, an advanced registered
nurse practitioner certified under Section 464.012, Florida Statutes, or a registered nurse licensed under
Section 464.008, Florida Statutes, or Section 464.009, Florida Statutes.
The RNV must also comply with the minimum standards of practice for nurses and be subject to
disciplinary action for violations of Section 464.018, Florida Statutes, except that the scope of practice for
certified volunteers shall be limited to primary and preventive health care, or as further defined by board
rule.
RNVs may not administer controlled substances, supervise other nurses, or receive monetary
compensation.
B.B. REGISTERED NURSE FIRST ASSISTANTS
The registered nurse first assistant was intended to provide quality, cost effective surgical
intervention to health care recipients in Florida by encouraging the use of registered nurse first assistants
who are qualified as “assistants at surgery” by physicians and hospitals during surgery.
To qualify as a registered nurse first assistant one must be licensed as a registered nurse. The nurse
must also be certified in perioperative nursing, which is the practice of nursing in which the nurse provides
preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative nursing care to surgical patients. The nurse must also hold
a certificate from and successfully complete a recognized program. A recognized program addresses all
content of the Association of Operating Room Nurses, Inc. Core curriculum for the registered nurse first
assistant and includes one academic year, defined as 45 hours of didactic instruction and 120 hours of
clinical internship, or its equivalent of two college semesters. Each health care institution must establish
specific procedures for the appointment and reappointment of registered nurse first assistant staff members
and for granting, renewing, and revising their clinical privileges. Section 464.027, Florida Statutes.
C. CERTIFIED NURSING ASSISTANTS
Yet another classification under the Florida Nurse Practice Act is the Certified Nursing Assistant.
Section 464.203, Florida Statutes. To qualify as a certified nursing assistant, an individual must
successfully complete an approved training program and achieve a minimum score, established by rule of
the board, on the nursing assistant competency examination, which consists of a written portion and
skills-demonstration portion approved by the board and administered at a site and by personnel approved
by the department. Certification may be granted to those who have not completed an approved training