Ala. Admin. Code r. 610-X-7-.12

Current through Register Vol. 42, No. 8, May 31, 2024

Section 610-X-7-.12 - Nursing Student/Graduate Aides

(1) A licensed nurse may delegate selected nursing activities supportive to licensed nurses to nursing students currently enrolled in approved schools of nursing, or to graduates of approved schools of nursing who have not achieved licensure as nurses, and employed as nursing aides in licensed healthcare facilities who have successfully completed coursework in pharmacology, medication administration and fundamentals; provided that:

(a) The licensed healthcare facility at which the nursing student/graduate aide is performing the selected delegated nursing activities has authorized the delegation.

(b) The nursing student/graduate aide's competency to perform the selected delegated nursing activities to be delegated shall be assessed and documented prior to delegation.

(c) The licensed nurse may suspend or withdraw delegation to the nursing student/graduate aide at any time.

(d) Nursing activities which may be delegated to the nursing student/graduate aide include:

1. Obtaining vital signs, glucometer, and pulse oximetry readings

2. Assisting patients with feeding

3. Dressing changes limited to the application of simple bandaging (e.g. steri-strips), wet-to-dry, and/or sterile dressing change

4. Maintenance of ostomies (e.g. colostomy and urostomy) to include measuring and application of wafer board

5. Restorative care to include ambulation with gait belt, walker, crutches, and/or wheelchair

6. Restorative care to include active and passive range-of-motion (ROM) exercises and contracture care

7. Peripheral Venous Phlebotomy for laboratory analysis

8. Application of oxygen via nasal cannula

9. Insertion/Removal of Foley Catheter, to exclude suprapubic catherization

10. Initiation and discontinuation of nebulizer treatments to EXCLUDE racemic epinephrine administration

11. Administration of routine screening tests/ immunizations (e.g. flu and TB)

12. Removal of intravenous catheter

13. Documentation of all procedures and/or medications administered in the licensed healthcare facility's electronic medical records platform and paper records

14. Administration of routine medications. Routine medications may not be administered through the following routes of administration:

(i) Gastric

(ii) Nasogastric

(iii) Intravenous

(e) Nursing student/graduate aides shall not be delegated the following nursing activities:

1. Administration of PRN narcotic or controlled medications

2. Suction of and/or replacement of tracheostomy

3. Accessing feeding tubes (G or J-tubes)

4. Placement of any form of intravenous catheter

5. Accessing any intravenous catheter for initiation or therapies

6. Administration of blood or blood products

(f) Any individual who has completed an approved registered nursing education program, has not yet achieved licensure as a registered nurse, an is employed in an unlicensed capacity in a licensed healthcare facility as a nursing graduate aide/extern may perform placement of peripheral intravenous catheters.

(g) As used in this rule, a nursing student/graduate aide shall be defined as an individual who is currently enrolled in an approved nursing education program or a graduates of an approved schools of nursing who has not achieved licensure as nurses and is employed in an unlicensed capacity in a licensed healthcare facility.

Ala. Admin. Code r. 610-X-7-.12

Adopted by Alabama Administrative Monthly Volume XXXVIII, Issue No. 12, September 30, 2020, eff. 11/14/2020.

Amended by Alabama Administrative Monthly Volume XL, Issue No. 02, November 30, 2021, eff. 1/14/2022.

Author: Alabama Board of Nursing

Statutory Authority:Code of Ala. 1975, § 34-21-24.