(a)        No person shall practice or offer to practice as a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse, or use the word “nurse” as a title for herself or himself, or use an abbreviation to indicate that the person is a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse, unless the person is currently licensed as a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse as provided by this Article. If the word “nurse” is part of a longer title, such as “nurse’s aide”, a person who is entitled to use that title shall use the entire title and may not abbreviate the title to “nurse”. This Article shall not, however, be construed to prohibit or limit the following:

(1)        The performance by any person of any act for which that person holds a license issued pursuant to North Carolina law;

(2)        The clinical practice by students enrolled in approved nursing programs, continuing education programs, or refresher courses under the supervision of qualified faculty;

(3)        The performance of nursing performed by persons who hold a temporary license issued pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-171.33;

(4)        The delegation to any person, including a member of the patient’s family, by a physician licensed to practice medicine in North Carolina, a licensed dentist or registered nurse of those patient-care services which are routine, repetitive, limited in scope that do not require the professional judgment of a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse; [or]

(5)        Assistance by any person in the case of emergency.

Any person permitted to practice nursing without a license as provided in subdivision [(a)](2) or [(a)](3) of this section shall be held to the same standard of care as any licensed nurse.

(b)        The Board shall have the authority to promulgate rules to enforce the provisions of this section. ?(1981, c. 360, s. 1; 1993, c. 198, s. 9; 1999-320, s. 2; 2019-180, s. 12.)