[The New Era of the Nurse Practitioner]

The scope of practice of nurse practitioners is not defined by law but by the administrative directives of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Prior to promulgation of Article 24, Paragraphs 3 and 4 of the "Nursing Personnel Act" and of the "Regulation of the Scope of Practice of Nurse Practitioners", the scope of practice of nurse practitioners was defined in accordance with relevant laws and regulations. Since promulgation, nurse practitioners have been authorized to practice medical interventions under the supervision of physicians and in accordance with physician-established protocols. These changes have made the scope of practice of nurse practitioners clearer and more specific. Today, nurse practitioners are authorized to perform 21 invasive procedures and 9 non-invasive procedures, which represents a new milestone in establishing the professionalism of nurse practitioners. The purpose of this article is to describe these new regulations governing the scope of practice of nurses and their legislative background and process. It is hoped that nurses may better understand the scope of practice of nurse practitioners and the importance of legislation in promoting and protecting the rights of nurses.