N.J. Admin. Code § 8:43E-7.2

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 9, May 6, 2024
Section 8:43E-7.2 - Definitions

The following words and terms, when used in this subchapter, shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Available" means cleared or approved for marketing by the Federal Food and Drug Administration and commercially offered for distribution.

"Department" means the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services.

"Emergency" means an unforeseen circumstance involving a patient in need of immediate medical attention in order to save the patient's life and/or limb or prevent serious and/or permanent injury.

"Evaluation committee" means a group of individuals appointed within each facility or health care system which satisfies the requirements of 26:2H-5.1 3 and 8:43E-7.3.

"Facility" means a health care facility licensed by the Department, pursuant to the provisions set forth in the Health Care Facilities Planning Act, 26:2H-1 et seq., as amended.

"Health care system" means a licensed health care provider/entity that either owns and operates more than one licensed facility within the State of New Jersey or can document operational control over more than one licensed facility within the State of New Jersey, but which is not a management company.

"Health care worker" or "health care professional" means a physician, physician assistant, advanced practice nurse, registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, or any other individual employed by the facility or having privileges at the facility whose job duties require the use of sharp devices, as that term is defined herein.

"Integrated safety features" means needles and all other sharp instruments with engineered injury prevention protections in the form of a built-in safety feature or mechanism designed to protect the user of the sharp device from needle stick injuries.

"Needleless device" means a device that does not use needles for the following procedures:

1. The collection or withdrawal of bodily fluids after initial venous or arterial access is established;

2. Administration of medication or other fluids; or

3. Any other procedure involving potential for exposure to blood or other potentially exposed infectious material.

"Needle stick injury" means the actual or potential parenteral introduction, into the body of a health care worker, of blood or other potentially exposed infectious material, by any type of sharp device, as that term is defined in this section.

"Sharp device(s)" means needles and all other sharp instruments used by health care workers to administer patient care, the use of which creates the potential for exposure to blood or other potentially exposed infectious material, regardless of whether the specific patient being treated has been diagnosed with a bloodborne disease or infection.

N.J. Admin. Code § 8:43E-7.2