In order to safeguard life, health, and the public welfare of the people of this state and in order to protect the people of the state of New Hampshire from the unauthorized, unqualified, and improper application of services by individuals in the practice of nursing, it is necessary that a regulatory authority be established and adequately funded. To further this policy the practice of nursing shall be regulated through the New Hampshire board of nursing, and said board shall have the power to enforce the provisions of this chapter. Any persons who practice or offer to practice nursing or who represent themselves as registered nurses or licensed practical nurses without qualifying under this chapter endanger the public health.

Nursing is a dynamic discipline and its practice is continually evolving to include more sophisticated patient care activities. The purpose of this chapter is to provide clear legal authority for functions and procedures that have common acceptance and usage and to recognize the overlapping functions between registered nurses and other licensed health care providers in the delivery of health care services.