Iowa Admin. Code r. 655-6.2

Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 8, October 30, 2024

Rule 655-6.2 - Standards of nursing practice for registered nurses

(1) A registered nurse shall recognize and understand the legal boundaries for practicing nursing within the scope of nursing practice. The scope of practice of the registered nurse is determined by the nurse's education, experience, and competency and the rules governing nursing. The scope of practice of the registered nurse shall not include those practices requiring the knowledge and education of an advanced registered nurse practitioner

(2) The registered nurse shall demonstrate professionalism and accountability by:

a. Demonstrating honesty and integrity in nursing practice.

b. Basing nursing decisions on nursing knowledge, judgment, skills, the needs of patients, and evidence-based practices.

c. Maintaining competence through ongoing learning, application of knowledge, and applying evidence-based practices.

d. Reporting instances of unsafe nursing practices by self or others to the appropriate supervisor

e. Being accountable for judgments, individual nursing actions, competence, decisions, and behavior in the practice of nursing.

f. Assuming responsibility for the nurse's own decisions and actions.

g. Wearing identification which clearly identifies the nurse as a registered nurse when providing direct patient care unless wearing identification creates a safety or health risk for either the nurse or the patient.

(3) The registered nurse shall utilize the nursing process by:

a. Conducting a thorough nursing assessment based on the patient's needs and the practice setting.

b. Applying nursing knowledge based on the biological, psychological, and sociocultural aspects of the patient's condition.

c. Detecting inaccurate or missing patient information.

d. Receiving a physician's, ARNP's, or other health care provider's orders and seeking clarification of orders when needed.

e. Formulating independent nursing decisions and nursing diagnoses by using critical thinking, objective findings, and clinical judgment.

f. Planning nursing care and nursing interventions by establishing measurable and achievable outcomes, consistent with the patient's overall health care plan.

g. Obtaining education and ensuring competence when encountering new equipment, technology, medication, procedures or any other unfamiliar care situations.

h. Implementing treatment and therapy as identified by the patient's overall health care plan.

i. Monitoring patients and attending to patients' health care needs.

j. Identifying changes in the patient's health status, as indicated by pertinent signs and symptoms, and comprehending the clinical implications of those changes.

k. Evaluating continuously the patient's response to nursing care and other therapies, including:

(1) Patient's response to interventions.

(2) Need for alternative interventions.

(3) Need to communicate and consult with other health team members.

(4) Need to revise the plan of care.

l. Documenting nursing care accurately, thoroughly, and in a timely manner

m. Communicating and consulting with other health team members regarding the following:

(1) Patient concerns and special needs.

(2) Patient status and progress.

(3) Patient response or lack of response to interventions.

(4) Significant changes in patient condition.

(5) Interventions which are not implemented, based on the registered nurse's professional judgment, and providing:

1. A timely notification to the physician, ARNP, or other health care provider who prescribed the intervention that the order was not executed and reason(s) for not executing the order;

2. Documentation in the medical record that the physician, ARNP, or other health care provider was notified and reason(s) for not implementing the order; and

3. If appropriate, a timely notification to other persons who, based on the patient's circumstances, should be notified of any orders which were not implemented.

n. Revising plan of care as needed.

o. Providing a safe environment for the patient.

p. Providing comprehensive health care education to the patient and others, according to nursing standards and evidence-based practices.

(4) The registered nurse shall act as an advocate for the patient(s) by:

a. Respecting the patient's rights, confidentiality, concerns, decisions, and dignity.

b. Identifying patient needs.

c. Attending to patient concerns or requests.

d. Promoting a safe environment for the patient, others, and self

e. Maintaining appropriate professional boundaries.

(5) The registered nurse shall apply the delegation process when delegating to another registered nurse or licensed practical nurse by:

a. Delegating only those nursing tasks that fall within the delegatee's scope of practice, education, experience, and competence. The initial assessment and ongoing application of the nursing process shall only be provided by the registered nurse.

b. Matching the patient's needs and circumstances with the delegatee's qualifications, resources, and appropriate supervision.

c. Communicating directions and expectations for completion of the delegated activity and receiving confirmation of understanding of the communication from the delegatee.

d. Supervising the delegatee by monitoring performance, progress and outcomes and ensuring appropriate documentation is complete.

e. Evaluating patient outcomes as a result of the delegation process.

f. Intervening when problems are identified, revising plan of care when needed, and reassessing the appropriateness of the delegation.

g. Retaining accountability for properly implementing the delegation process.

h. Promoting a safe and therapeutic environment by:

(1) Providing appropriate monitoring and surveillance of the care environment.

(2) Identifying unsafe care situations.

(3) Correcting problems or referring problems to appropriate management level when needed.

(6) The registered nurse shall not delegate the following intravenous therapy procedures to a licensed practical nurse:

a. Initiation and discontinuation of a midline catheter or a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC).

b. Administration of medication by bolus or IV push except maintenance doses of analgesics via a patient-controlled analgesia pump set at a lock-out interval.

c. Administration of blood and blood products, vasodilators, vasopressors, oxytoxics, chemotherapy, colloid therapy, total parenteral nutrition, anticoagulants, antiarrhythmics, thrombolytics, and solutions with a total osmolarity of 600 or greater

d. Provision of intravenous therapy to a patient under the age of 12 or any patient weighing less than 80 pounds, with the exception of those activities authorized in the limited scope of practice found in subrule 6.3(5).

e. Provision of intravenous therapy in any other setting except a licensed hospital, a nursing facility and a certified end-stage renal dialysis unit, with the exception of those activities authorized in the limited scope of practice found in subrule 6.3(5).

(7) The registered nurse shall apply the delegation process when delegating to an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) by:

a. Ensuring the UAP has the appropriate education and training and has demonstrated competency to perform the delegated task.

b. Ensuring the task does not require assessment, interpretation, and independent nursing judgment or nursing decision during the performance or completion of the task.

c. Ensuring the task does not exceed the scope of practice of a licensed practical nurse.

d. Ensuring the task is consistent with the UAP's scope of employment and can be safely performed according to clear and specific directions.

e. Verifying that, in the professional judgment of the delegating nurse, the task poses minimal risk to the patient.

f. Communicating directions and expectations for completion of the delegated activity and receiving confirmation of understanding of the communication from the UAP.

g. Supervising the UAP and evaluating the patient outcomes of the delegated task.

(8) Subrule 6.2(7) does not apply to delegations to certified emergency medical care personnel who are employed by or assigned to a hospital or other entity in which health care is ordinarily provided, so long as:

a. The nurse has observed the patient;

b. The delegated task is a nonlife saving procedure; and

c. The task is within the delegatee's job description.

(9) Additional acts which may be performed by, and specific nursing practices for, registered nurses:

a. A registered nurse shall be permitted to practice as a diagnostic radiographer while under the supervision of a licensed practitioner provided that appropriate training standards for use of radiation-emitting equipment are met as outlined in 641-Chapter 42.

b. A registered nurse may staff an authorized ambulance, rescue, or first response service provided the registered nurse can document equivalency through education and additional skills training essential in the delivery of out-of-hospital emergency care. The equivalency shall be accepted when documentation has been reviewed and approved at the local level by the medical director of the ambulance, rescue, or first response service and the Iowa department of public health bureau of emergency and trauma services in accordance with the form adopted by the Iowa department of public health. An exception to this subrule is the registered nurse who accompanies and is responsible for a transfer patient.

c. A registered nurse, while circulating in the operating room, shall provide supervision only to persons in the same operating room.

This rule is intended to implement Iowa Code section 147A.12 and chapters 136C and 152.

Iowa Admin. Code r. 655-6.2

Amended by IAB February 24, 2021/Volume XLIII, Number 18, effective 3/31/2021