NAC632.224. Supervision of others; duties of chief nurse; determination of authorized scope of practice; verification of competency.

     1. A registered nurse who supervises other persons shall:

     (a) Determine the priority of the needs of each patient and group of patients under his or her care;

     (b) Provide direction in formulating, interpreting and carrying out the objectives and policies related to nursing care;

     (c) Assist those persons who are being supervised to develop the skills needed for their competence in providing for the care of a patient;

     (d) Assist the persons who are being supervised in carrying out the planned care of a patient; and

     (e) Evaluate the effectiveness of the nursing care given to each patient or group of patients under his or her care.

     2. A registered nurse who is employed as a chief nurse is responsible for the management of other personnel under his or her supervision and shall:

     (a) Establish the authorized scope of practice for the personnel he or she supervises and establish and document a process to carry out, maintain and improve the knowledge, skills and ability of those persons to provide safe and effective care.

     (b) Before assigning those persons, verify their ability to carry out safely duties which are identified in a written policy and to follow the procedures established by the employing agency.

     (c) Establish written guidelines to be followed by personnel under his or her supervision for receiving and administering prescriptions. The guidelines must include procedures for:

          (1) Identifying the type of patient to be served;

          (2) Identifying the intended medical treatment; and

          (3) Resolving any questions related to a prescription,

Ê if the prescription is not received directly from an advanced practitioner of nursing, a licensed physician, a licensed physician assistant, a licensed dentist or a licensed podiatric physician.

     (d) Ensure that the guidelines established pursuant to paragraph (c) are available at each site where nursing care is provided under the supervision of the chief nurse.

     (e) Create a safe and effective system for delivery of nursing care which complies with nationally recognized standards.

     (f) Maintain a list of the references used to determine the authorized scope of practice for the personnel he or she supervises and make them available to governmental agencies upon request.

     3. If a chief nurse is not assigned to the practice area of a registered nurse, the registered nurse must determine the authorized scope of his or her practice and establish and document verification of his or her competency.

     (Added to NAC by Bd. of Nursing, eff. 11-2-87; A 11-19-93; 6-21-94; R122-01, 12-17-2001; R112-11, 2-15-2012)