Board of Nursing Issues Declaratory Statement Regarding Botox Injections by RNs
The Scope of Practice for a Registered Nurse isn’t always clear. The Florida Nurse Practice Act (Florida Statute Ch. § 464) and the Rules of the Florida Board of Nursing (Florida Administrative Codes, Title 64B9) exist to establish regulations, authority, and guidance regarding the practice of nursing. The issue of whether a registered nurse can legally administer Botox has been clearly addressed under Florida law. Previous rulings set a precedent when a nurse was disciplined for performing Botox injections on a client without a physician’s direct orders (Department of Health v. Trisha Lorraine White, R.N. Case Number 2016-13884). However, this ruling seemed to leave more questions than answers. The ruling did not clearly state whether a nurse is allowed to perform Botox injections if acting pursuant to a physician’s orders. In White, the court held that even pursuant to a physician’s orders a registered nurse does not possess the requisite educational preparation to perform the procedure and that doing so would be practicing beyond the scope of a nursing license. Without clarification, this matter left unanswered questions for nurses, med spas, and clinics who could potentially benefit from having nurses perform Botox procedures.
Per the Board of Nursing, if a specific act is questionable, a declaratory statement may be requested to provide clarity. The Board of Nursing defines a declaratory statement as a means for resolving a controversy or answering questions or doubts concerning the applicability of statutory provisions, rules, or orders over which the board, or department when there is no board. On September 26, 2022, Jessica James, a registered nurse (R.N.) from Pensacola, Florida requested a declaratory statement on clarification for the task delegation of Botox Cosmetic. The case referenced Florida Statute § 464.003, specifically quoting, “The administration of medications and treatments as prescribed or authorized by a duly licensed practitioner authorized by the laws of this state to prescribe such medications and treatments.” Jessica James’ request went on to identify some prerequisites in her case for Botox task delegation eligibility by stating that the physician would first examine the patient and write an order detailing the specific muscles to be injected as well as the units per injection site before delegating the task to a registered nurse.
The Board of Nursing concluded that it is within the scope of practice for this particular case to allow the task delegation of administering of Botox. It should be noted that the Board of Nursing mentioned the “Petitioner’s specific and particular education, training, and experience” when making this decision. In this particular case, Jessica James, stated that she had experience in this field because she had observed aesthetic injections for 4 years and had completed Method Aesthetics Academy Level I training. This finding opens the door to the possibility for other qualified nurses to administer Botox under the supervision of a physician with the appropriate trainings and education. At the very least, this finding displays more progressive thought than previous rulings and statements that disallowed nurses to partake and assist in Botox injections. While this matter remains open ended and subject to specific conditions, it most definitely provides some transparency for those concerned.
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All information and references made to laws, rules, regulations, and advisory opinions were accurate based on the law as it existed at this time, but laws are constantly evolving. Please contact me to be sure that the law which will govern your business is current. Thank you.
