Thursday, April 23, 1998 | 9:56 a.m.
The debate over allowing unlicensed people to perform nursing duties continued Wednesday as the state's Nursing Practice Advisory Committee discussed the proposed policy change.
The Nevada State Board of Nursing is considering giving chief nurses in medical facilities the authority to demand that their registered nurses delegate some of their responsibilities to unlicensed personnel.
The regulation change would make the registered nurse liable, exempting a medical facility and its chief nurse from any negligence.
"Whoever the delegate (unlicensed person) is, that person cannot be substituted as a nurse," Kathy Apple, executive director of the Board of Nursing, said. "The delegate cannot function independent of the nurse. Whoever the delegate is, that person needs to be held responsible."
Committee member Leslee Kosley said she had problems with the term "unlicensed" person. She said people think that means anyone hired off the streets.
Several members felt the term "health-care team member" should be substituted for unlicensed person.
"We need to put in (the regulation change) the education and competency requirement," committee member Caroline Copeland added.
Apple said the committee had three options to propose to the board: not doing anything, allowing the current nursing language to stand or considering alternative language.
"Why do you want to dilute the nursing pool with unskilled people?" Scott Simpson, an registered nurse at University Medical Center, asked. "Professional nurses don't want this (change), health maintenance organizations don't want it, and the public doesn't want it.
"There is no definition of the persons to be trained. Creating a new animal out of professionals is not responsible."
Apple said the current law only allows nurses to delegate their duties to other nurses.
"I don't think Nevada is ready for delegation," Diana Lombardo, president of the Nevada Nurses Association, said. "We are not like the East and West coasts, where you have institutions to regulate (the medical facilities).
"There is not a clear reason as to why we are creating a new category of personnel."
Apple, unable to answer why the regulation change is being sought, said the current regulation is 10 years old.
The Nursing Practice Advisory Committee is scheduled to meet again in Reno on May 20. Apple said the proposed changes could possibly be voted on by the board in June.
"What I'm hearing is that the nurses don't want to do these changes," Apple said after the meeting. "We are listening to all the alternatives. The good that is coming out of all this, is that nurses are getting involved in the process."
archive
