SENATE BILL REPORT
ESHB 2363
As Reported By Senate Committee On:
Health & Long-Term Care, February 24, 1998
Title: An act relating to department of health recommendations removing barriers to nurse delegation.
Brief Description: Enacting department of health recommendations removing barriers to nurse delegation.
Sponsors: House Committee on Health Care (originally sponsored by Representatives Backlund, Cody, Skinner, Dyer, Anderson and D. Sommers; by request of Department of Health).
Brief History:
Committee Activity: Health & Long‑Term Care: 2/19/98, 2/24/98 [DPA].
SENATE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH
& LONG-TERM CARE
Majority Report: Do pass as amended.
Signed by Senators Deccio, Chair; Wood, Vice Chair; Benton, Franklin and Strannigan.
Staff: Rhoda Jones (786-7198)
Background: Legislation passed in 1995 authorizing nurses to delegate specific nursing tasks to nonlicensed individuals in specific long-term care settings. A joint legislative task force on nurse delegation was established to monitor the implementation of the nurse delegation laws. The task force expired on January 1, 1998.
Upon implementation, it became evident that the new nurse delegation statute created inconsistencies with current law. These conflicts in law posed problems with the implementation of nurse delegation.
Summary of Amended Bill: A conflict in law pertaining to school employees is clarified. Nonlicensed employees in public and private schools are authorized to administer medications to students, notwithstanding the nurse delegation law, in accordance with current practice.
Nurses are only required to obtain the written informed consent from patients at the onset of the nurse-delegation process for a particular patient, and it is not necessary to obtain it repeatedly for each change in task.
Nurses may determine the most appropriate method for assessing the competency of each nursing assistant in the delegation process.
The legislative task force expires on January 1, 1999.
The Department of Social and Health Services has the discretion to levy fines for violations of the nurse delegation law.
School employees must consent to administering oral medications to students in public and private schools.
Amended Bill Compared to Substitute Bill: The substitute bill did not require school employees to consent to administering oral medications.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Not requested.
Effective Date: The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.
Testimony For: This clears up confusion that arose from the 1995 nurse delegation legislation. It allows for school employees to continue to provide oral medications, with their consent.
Testimony Against: None.
Testified: Pat Brown, DOH; Susan Braukus, PSE.