02-380-6 Me. Code R. § 2

Current through 2024-46, November 13, 2024

Section 380-6-2 - Coordination and Oversight

1. General Authority

Except as otherwise provided by Chapter 5, and in accordance with this chapter, the registered professional nurse may coordinate and oversee unlicensed health care assistive personnel for specific tasks for specific patients, consistent with patient safety. Except as provided by 32 M.R.S.A. Section2102(2)(G), the registered professional nurse shall not coordinate and oversee unlicensed health care assistive personnel for health counseling, teaching or any task that requires independent, specialized nursing knowledge, skill or judgment.

2. Elements of Coordination and Oversight

A. Factors to be considered

Factors to be considered by the nurse as to whether that nurse may coordinate his/her services with unlicensed health care assistive personnel , consistent with patient safety, include without limitation: acuity of the patient; stability of the condition of the patient; training and capability of the unlicensed health care assistive personnel; nature of the tasks; and the setting in which care is to be delivered.

B. The nurse's responsibility

The nurse who coordinates and oversees services provided by unlicensed health care assistive personnel shall do the following:

(1) identify the needs of the patient, consulting the plan of care

(2) identify the task to be performed by the unlicensed health care assistive personnel

(3) provide directions regarding the task to be performed

(4) determine the ability of the unlicensed health care assistive personnel to perform the task

(5) monitor reporting and documentation of the task

(6) ensure that the unlicensed assistive personnel assigned to that nurse's patient reports directly to the nurse for the performance of nursing tasks.

(7) evaluate performance of the task and patient outcome, and initiate corrective action when necessary.

02-380 C.M.R. ch. 6, § 2