Nursing and the LawThere have been many different definitions of nursing over the years. Florence Nightingale defined nursing in 1859 as “responsibility for someone's personal health…”. . . , and what nursing should do . . . is to put the patient in the best conditions for nature to act on him” (American Nurses Association [ANA], 2010a). As the nursing profession evolved, the definition also had to encompass everything that nursing had become. Today, the ANA (2010a) defines nursing as "the protection, promotion and optimization of health and abilities, the prevention of illness and injury, the relief of suffering through diagnosis and treatment of the human response, and the defense of care for individuals, families. , communities and populations. The role of nurses continues to evolve in healthcare. Nurses are more involved in decision-making regarding patient care, gaining autonomy, and having more professional responsibility than ever before (Tzeng, Yin, & Schneider, 2013). This article will discuss the obligation of registered nurses to provide safe and competent care to the public, including the challenges they may face if they do not provide care in accordance with their standards of practice. Protection of the Public The practice of nursing requires specialized knowledge, skills and competencies. independent decision-making. The level of autonomy may pose a risk of harm to the public if practiced by unprepared or incompetent professionals (Russell, 2012). The State is required to protect its citizens against all danger. States are able to provide this protection in the form of reasonable laws to regulate nursing care. Each state government has enacted laws that protect the health and welfare of the public by supervising and ensuring...... middle of document ......Brous, E. (2012). Common misconceptions about professional licensing. American Journal Of Nursing, 112(10), 55-59. Cartwright-Vanzant, R. (2011). Standards of care. Journal Of Legal Nurse Consulting, 22(1), 14-18. Chhoker, V. and Rastogi, P. (2010). Negligence in nursing. International Journal Of Nursing Education, 2(2), 32-34.Nurses and medical malpractice. Case study: Medication administration error and lack of monitoring. (2011). Washington Nurse, 41(1), 51-53. Couig, M., Johnson, KA and Cathy. (2011). Nursing scope of practice issues in public health emergencies. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 2(3), 13-18.Russell, KA (2012). Guide to laws governing nursing practice and governing nursing practice. Journal Of Nursing Regulator, 3(3), 36-42. Tzeng, H., Yin, C. and Schneider, T.E. (2013). Problems related to medication errors in nursing practice. MEDSURG Nursing, 22(1), 13-50.