WSR 08-14-158

PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH


(Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission)

[ Filed July 2, 2008, 8:19 a.m. ]

     Subject of Possible Rule Making: WAC 246-841-405 Nursing assistant delegation, 246-840-910 Purpose, 246-840-920 Definitions, 246-840-930 Criteria for delegation, 246-840-940 Washington state nursing care quality assurance commission community-based and in-home care setting delegation decision tree, 246-840-950 How to make changes to the delegated tasks, 246-840-960 Rescinding delegation, and 246-840-970 Accountability, liability, and coercion. Amending the listed WACs to allow nurses to delegate insulin injections to nursing assistants and updating language to assure it is current, understandable, and not duplicative.

     Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: Chapter 146, Laws of 2008 (ESSHB [E2SHB] 2668); RCW 18.79.110, 18.79.260, 18.88A.210, 18.88A.060.

     Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: These rules need to be amended to implement chapter 146, Laws of 2008 (ESSHB [E2SHB] 2668). This recently passed law allows registered nurses to delegate to registered and certified nursing assistants the administration of insulin by injection in a community-based care setting or in-home care setting. This allows people with disabilities to continue to reside in their own home or other home-like settings. The rules need to be amended to be consistent with the new law and to make certain that procedures are in place to ensure patient safety. In addition, the commission will look at all the language to assure that it is current, understandable, and is not duplicative.

     Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: Department of social and health services, aging and disability services, administration, home and community services division. Department of health personnel are meeting with department of social and health services personnel to coordinate implementation of the rules with the ability of the department of social and health services to develop the training and to train the trainers.

     Process for Developing New Rule: Collaborative.

     Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication. Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule through workshops and submitting comments on draft rules. All notices will be sent to members of the nursing care quality assurance commission listserv. Interested parties can sign up at http:listserv.wa.gov/dgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=nursingquc&A=1. Interested parties may also obtain this information by contacting Kendra Pitzler, Program Manager, P.O. Box 47864, Olympia, WA 98504-7860, phone (360) 236-4723, fax (360) 236-4738, or e-mail kendra.pitzler@doh.wa.gov.

July 1, 2008

Paula R. Meyer, MSN, RN

Executive Director

Nursing Care Quality

Assurance Commission

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