Delegation of Authority from Podiatrists to Nurses
Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
An APRN is a Registered Nurse (RN) licensed by TBON to practice as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse on the basis of completion of an advanced educational program. The term includes a Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Midwife, Nurse Anesthetist, and Clinical Nurse Specialist.
Delegation of Authority
Delegation allows for autonomous decision-making capability about the course of care for a patient. Only MDs and DOs are authorized to delegate to an APRN pursuant to Texas Occupations Code Chapter 157 (Medical Practices Act; jurisdiction of the Texas Medical Board and the Texas Board of Nursing).
There is no provision in the Podiatric Medical Practice Act (Texas Occupations Code Chapter 202) that allows a podiatrist to delegate to an APRN. An APRN cannot function as an autonomous representative for, or act autonomously on behalf of, a podiatrist in an office/practice setting.
Hospital Settings
In a hospital setting, Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 241 authorizes a governing body of a hospital to establish policies concerning the granting of clinical privileges to APRNs.
Office or Practice Setting
In the office/practice setting of a podiatrist, a podiatrist may employ a nurse who happens to be an APRN. However, an APRN who is employed in this setting can only function as a RN, meaning a nurse who is practicing professional nursing under orders of a podiatrist while in the presence of the podiatrist. An order is a specific task for a specific patient and not the same as delegation.
Nursing Scope of Practice
The Texas Board of Nursing (TBON) regulates the practice of nursing in Texas. This includes professional nursing and advanced practice nursing. We recommend requestors contact TBON for further information regarding a nurse’s scope of practice.
