Scope of practice resources
Standards of nursing conduct or practice
Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 246-840-700 delineates professional boundaries and responsibilities for nurses.
Excerpt:
The purpose of defining standards of nursing conduct or practice through WAC 246-840-700 and 246-840-710 is to identify responsibilities of the professional registered nurse and the licensed practical nurse in health care settings and as provided in the Nursing Practice Act, chapter 18.79 RCW. Violation of these standards may be grounds for disciplinary action under chapter 18.130 RCW. Each individual, upon entering the practice of nursing, assumes a measure of responsibility and public trust and the corresponding obligation to adhere to the professional and ethical standards of nursing practice. The nurse shall be responsible and accountable for the quality of nursing care given to clients. This responsibility cannot be avoided by accepting the orders or directions of another person.
RN and LPN scope of practice advisory opinion
The Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission Advisory Opinion 13.02, effective September 2019, offers detailed insights into the distinctions between registered nurse and licensed practical nurse roles, clarifying common areas of confusion.
Note that the Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission has since been renamed the Washington State Board of Nursing.
These two resources are complementary; the WAC provides the legal framework, while the advisory opinion offers interpretive guidance to navigate that framework in daily practice.