Section 216-RICR-40-05-3.8 - Standards of Nursing Practice DelegationA. Nurses may delegate to nursing assistants who are registered or licensed with the Department. 1. In addition, nurses may delegate nursing activities that are consistent with the level of knowledge, skills, training, experience, and cultural awareness of the unlicensed assistive personnel when the client's health status is stable and predictable, as defined in this Part.B. Delegation of nursing activities shall comply with the following requirements: 1. The licensed professional nurse shall make an assessment of the patient's nursing care needs prior to delegating the nursing activity. A licensed LPN, acting within the scope of his/her practice, as defined in § 3.2(A)(35) of this Part, may delegate to licensed nursing assistants and to unlicensed assistive personnel when the registered nurse's assessment allows such delegation to occur.2. The nursing activity shall be one that a reasonable and prudent nurse, utilizing sound nursing judgment, would determine to be appropriate for delegation.3. The licensed nurse delegating the nursing activity shall be accountable for the quality of nursing care given to the patient through the process of delegation.C. Criteria for determining nursing activities that may be delegated shall include the following: 1. Knowledge and skills of the delegatee;2. Verification of the clinical competence of the delegatee as determined by the organization providing the health care services;3. Stability of the client's condition such that it involves predictability, absence of risk complication, and rate of change;4. The variables in each service setting that include, but are not limited to, the following: a. Accessible resources and established policies, procedures, practices, and channels of communication that lend support to the type of nursing activities being delegated;b. Complexity and frequency of care needed by a given client population;c. Number and qualifications of other staff present;d. Accessibility of the licensed nurse.5. Nursing activities that inherently involve ongoing assessment, interpretation or decision- making that cannot be logically separated from the procedure(s) shall not be delegated.6. Nursing activities for which the delegatee has not demonstrated competence shall not be delegated.D. Supervision 1. A licensed nurse shall provide the necessary supervision, as defined in § 3.2(A)(5) of this Part, of delegated nursing activities.E. Pain Assessment 1. All health care providers licensed by the State of Rhode Island to provide health care services and all health care facilities licensed under R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 23-17 shall assess patient pain in accordance with the requirements of the Pain Assessment rules and regulations (Part 20-15-2 of this Title).F. Signature 1. On all documentation requiring a nurse's signature, the nurse shall sign his or her name as it appears on his or her license, followed by licensure status (LPN, RN, APRN). If APRN, followed by licensed role (CNP, CRNA, or CNS).216 R.I. Code R. § 216-RICR-40-05-3.8