SOUTH DAKOTA NURSING JURISPRUDENCE

SOUTH DAKOTA NURSING JURISPRUDENCE

EXAM QUESTIONS AND CORRECT

ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS) 2025

• Which of the following actions would be a violation of the South Dakota

Nurse Practice Act?

• Collaborating with physicians in patient care
• Delegating a sterile dressing change to an unlicensed assistive personnel

(UAP)

• Performing a physical assessment on a patient
• Teaching a diabetic patient how to administer insulin

Rationale: Under the South Dakota Nurse Practice Act, sterile procedures such as dressing changes are outside the scope of practice for UAPs. Only licensed personnel (RN or LPN depending on complexity) should perform these tasks.

• According to the South Dakota Board of Nursing, how often must a registered

nurse renew their license?

• Every 5 years
• Every 3 years 1 / 4

• Every 2 years
• Annually

Rationale: In South Dakota, RN licenses are renewed every two years. Nurses must meet continuing education requirements and submit a renewal application to remain in good standing.

• Which of the following is within the scope of practice for a South Dakota

licensed practical nurse (LPN)?

• Developing a nursing diagnosis
• Administering oral medications as prescribed
• Initiating blood transfusions independently
• Conducting comprehensive nursing assessments

Rationale: LPNs can administer oral medications under supervision but cannot

perform tasks such as comprehensive assessments or make nursing diagnoses, which are reserved for RNs.

• What is the primary purpose of the South Dakota Nurse Practice Act?
• To protect hospitals from lawsuits
• To regulate physician practice
• To protect the public by defining nursing practice and standards
• To promote union representation for nurses 2 / 4

Rationale: The South Dakota Nurse Practice Act is designed to protect the health and safety of the public by establishing legal standards and scope of practice for nurses.

• A nurse suspects a colleague is diverting narcotics. What is the nurse’s legal

and ethical responsibility under South Dakota law?

• Ignore the behavior to avoid conflict
• Report the issue to a supervisor only if a patient is harmed
• Report the suspicion to the South Dakota Board of Nursing
• Discuss the situation with the colleague and let them self-report

Rationale: Nurses in South Dakota are mandated to report suspected violations of the Nurse Practice Act, including diversion of medications, directly to the Board of Nursing to ensure patient safety.

• Which of the following continuing education (CE) requirements must South

Dakota RNs meet for license renewal?

• 5 hours every 5 years
• Completion of an approved continuing competency requirement every 2

years

• No continuing education is required
• 20 hours annually 3 / 4

Rationale: South Dakota requires RNs to meet a continuing competency

requirement every two years, which may include continuing education or other approved activities.

• A South Dakota RN is practicing in another compact state under the Nurse

Licensure Compact (NLC). What is a requirement for this multistate license?

• The nurse must have a permanent residence in South Dakota
• The nurse must obtain a separate license in the other state
• The nurse must pay taxes in both states
• The nurse cannot work in other states under any circumstance

Rationale: To practice in another NLC state, the nurse must hold a multistate

license issued by their primary state of residence, which must be a compact state like South Dakota.

• Which of the following is an example of unprofessional conduct according to

the South Dakota Board of Nursing?

• Advocating for a patient’s pain management
• Falsifying documentation in a patient’s chart
• Refusing to work overtime
• Delegating a task to a competent LPN

Rationale: Falsifying documentation is a clear violation of professional standards and is considered unprofessional conduct by the South Dakota Board of Nursing.

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