South Carolina Code 40-33-30. Licensing requirement; use of title “nurse”; exceptions; establishment of policies to cover special health care needs
(B) It is unlawful for a person to practice as an advanced practice registered nurse, a registered nurse, or a licensed practical nurse in this State, or to use the abbreviation "APRN", "RN", or "LPN" or any variation or subdesignation of these, or use any title, sign, card, or device to indicate that the person is a nurse, or that the person is practicing as a nurse, within the meaning of this chapter, unless the person is actively licensed under the provisions of this chapter.
Terms Used In South Carolina Code 40-33-30
- Department: means the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation;
(5) "Director" means the Director of the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation or the director's official designee;
(6) "Licensee" means a person granted an authorization to practice pursuant to this article and refers to a person holding a license, permit, certification, or registration granted pursuant to this article;
(7) "Licensing act" means the individual statute or regulations, or both, of each regulated profession or occupation which include, but are not limited to, board governance, the qualifications and requirements for authorization to practice, prohibitions, and disciplinary procedures;
(8) "Person" means an individual, partnership, or corporation;
(9) "Profession" or "occupation" means a profession or occupation regulated or administered, or both, by the department pursuant to this article. See South Carolina Code 40-1-20 - Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
(C) A person may not use the word "nurse" as a title, or use an abbreviation to indicate that the person is practicing in this State as a nurse, unless the person is actively licensed as a nurse as provided for in this chapter. If the term "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 does not prohibit the use of the title "nurse" by persons who hold a temporary permit pending licensure by endorsement from another jurisdiction, and it does not prohibit the use of the title "nurse" by persons enrolled in a board-approved refresher course for the purpose of obtaining an active South Carolina license.
(D) A provision of this chapter may not be construed to prohibit:
(1) gratuitous nursing care by friends or members of the family;
(2) the incidental care of the sick by domestic servants or persons primarily employed as housekeepers as long as they do not practice nursing within the meaning of this chapter;
(3) nursing assistance in case of an emergency;
(4) the practice of nursing by students enrolled in approved nurse education programs;
(5) the practice of nursing in this State by a legally qualified nurse of another state whose engagement requires the nurse to accompany and care for a patient temporarily residing in this State during the period of one engagement, not to exceed six months, if the person does not represent or hold herself or himself out as a nurse licensed to practice in this State;
(6) the practice of any legally qualified nurse of another state who is employed by the United States government or any bureau, division, or agency of the United States government, while in the discharge of official duties;
(7) care given to maternity patients, in the performance of their duties by licensed midwives trained and supervised under the authority of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, so long as these midwives confine care to maternity patients only and do not claim to be licensed nurses or certified nurse-midwives;
(8) the practice of nursing by a licensed nurse of another state who is enrolled in a board-approved course of study or board-approved experimental or experiential project requiring nursing practice as a part of the educational program;
(9) a person not licensed under this chapter from providing attendant care services directed by or on behalf of an individual in need of in-home care; and
(10) performance of an act which a person would normally perform if the person were physically and cognitively able.
(E) The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control may establish policies that authorize licensed registered nurses to provide health care under the direction of a physician licensed to practice medicine in this State and under the guidance of a registered pharmacist including, but not limited to, the dispensing of drugs for the treatment of tuberculosis and sexually transmitted diseases, HIV/AIDS, maternal and child care, children with special health care needs, family planning, immunizations, and any other public health program. The original diagnosis and treatment as prescribed by the physician must be maintained on the individual patient’s records. The provisions of this chapter must not be construed to require the employment of registered pharmacists at local health clinics for the guidance of registered nurses in the dispensing of drugs in accordance with these provisions.