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| THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
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| HOUSE BILL |
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| INTRODUCED BY BARRAR, ADOLPH, CALTAGIRONE, CLYMER, GEIST, GRELL, HENNESSEY, SCAVELLO, SIPTROTH, STERN AND WATSON, FEBRUARY 2, 2009 |
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| REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE, FEBRUARY 2, 2009 |
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| AN ACT |
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1 | Amending the act of May 22, 1951 (P.L.317, No.69), entitled, as |
2 | amended, "An act relating to the practice of professional |
3 | nursing; providing for the licensing of nurses and for the |
4 | revocation and suspension of such licenses, subject to |
5 | appeal, and for their reinstatement; providing for the |
6 | renewal of such licenses; regulating nursing in general; |
7 | prescribing penalties and repealing certain laws," further |
8 | providing for definitions; and providing for certified |
9 | registered nurse anesthetist qualifications. |
10 | The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
11 | hereby enacts as follows: |
12 | Section 1. Section 2(1) of the act of May 22, 1951 (P.L.317, |
13 | No.69), known as The Professional Nursing Law, amended December |
14 | 9, 2002 (P.L.1567, No.206), is amended and the section is |
15 | amended by adding a clause to read: |
16 | Section 2. Definitions.--When used in this act, the |
17 | following words and phrases shall have the following meanings |
18 | unless the context provides otherwise: |
19 | (1) The "Practice of Professional Nursing" means diagnosing |
20 | and treating human responses to actual or potential health |
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1 | problems through such services as casefinding, health teaching, |
2 | health counseling, and provision of care supportive to or |
3 | restorative of life and well-being, and executing medical |
4 | regimens as prescribed by a licensed physician or dentist. The |
5 | foregoing shall not be deemed to include acts of medical |
6 | diagnosis or prescription of medical therapeutic or corrective |
7 | measures, except as performed by a certified registered nurse |
8 | practitioner acting in accordance with rules and regulations |
9 | promulgated by the Board. Other than the administration of |
10 | conscious sedation, the foregoing shall be deemed to include the |
11 | administration of anesthesia only if performed by a certified |
12 | registered nurse anesthetist. |
13 | * * * |
14 | (16) "Certified registered nurse anesthetist" means a |
15 | registered nurse licensed in this Commonwealth and certified by |
16 | the Board, pursuant to section 3.2, to administer anesthesia. |
17 | Section 2. The act is amended by adding sections to read: |
18 | Section 3.2. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists; |
19 | Qualifications.--(a) The Board shall certify a licensed |
20 | registered nurse as a certified registered nurse anesthetist if |
21 | the nurse satisfies the requirements established by this act and |
22 | regulations promulgated by the Board. |
23 | (b) Certification of a nurse under this section shall expire |
24 | on the same date as the license of that nurse expires. |
25 | (c) A licensed registered nurse shall not qualify for |
26 | certification by the Board under this section unless the nurse: |
27 | (1) has successfully completed the educational program of a |
28 | school for nurse anesthetists accredited by an accrediting |
29 | agency recognized by the Board; and |
30 | (2) holds certification as a certified registered nurse |
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1 | anesthetist by a Board-recognized national certification |
2 | organization. |
3 | (d) A licensed registered nurse who is enrolled in an |
4 | educational program of a school for nurse anesthetists |
5 | accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the Board may, |
6 | during the enrollment, administer anesthesia under the direction |
7 | of the chief or director of anesthesia services, a Board- |
8 | certified anesthesiologist or a certified registered nurse |
9 | anesthetist. |
10 | (e) A licensed registered nurse who has obtained the |
11 | education required under subsection (c), but who has not yet |
12 | obtained certification as a registered nurse anesthetist may |
13 | administer anesthesia under the direction of the chief or |
14 | director of anesthesia services, a Board-certified |
15 | anesthesiologist or a certified registered nurse anesthetist |
16 | until the announcement of results of the first examination taken |
17 | for certification for which the registered nurse is eligible. If |
18 | the registered nurse fails to take, or fails to pass, that |
19 | examination, the nurse shall immediately cease practicing as a |
20 | nurse anesthetist; provided, however, that the registered nurse |
21 | may appeal to the Board for authority to continue practicing as |
22 | a nurse anesthetist if, due to extenuating circumstances, the |
23 | nurse is unable to take the examination in a time period |
24 | specified by the Board following attainment of the required |
25 | education. |
26 | Section 3.3. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists; Scope |
27 | of Practice.--(a) A certified registered nurse anesthetist |
28 | shall administer anesthesia only in cooperation with a |
29 | physician, dentist or podiatrist. For purposes of this section, |
30 | "cooperation" shall mean a process in which the certified |
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1 | registered nurse anesthetist and the physician, dentist or |
2 | podiatrist work together with each contributing an area of |
3 | expertise at the individual and respective level of education |
4 | and training of the certified registered nurse anesthetist and |
5 | the physician, dentist or podiatrist. |
6 | (b) A certified registered nurse anesthetist's performance |
7 | shall be under the overall direction of the chief or director of |
8 | anesthesia services; provided, however, that in situations or |
9 | health care delivery facilities where anesthesia services are |
10 | not mandatory, the certified registered nurse anesthetist's |
11 | performance shall be under the overall direction of the |
12 | physician, dentist or podiatrist responsible for the patient's |
13 | care. |
14 | (c) When the operating/anesthesia team consists entirely of |
15 | nonphysicians, an anesthesiologist or consulting physician of |
16 | the certified registered nurse anesthetist's choice shall be |
17 | available to the certified registered nurse anesthetist by |
18 | physical presence or electronic communication. |
19 | Section 3. Nothing in this act shall be construed to |
20 | prohibit the continued practice of certified registered nurse |
21 | anesthetists who were authorized to practice in this |
22 | Commonwealth on the effective date of this act. |
23 | Section 4. This act shall take effect in 60 days. |
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