H-1382.1  _______________________________________________

 

                          HOUSE BILL 2063

          _______________________________________________

 

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1997 Regular Session

 

By Representatives Dyer and Conway

 

Read first time 02/19/97.  Referred to Committee on Health Care.

Exempting state mental hospitals from requirements for nursing assistants.


    AN ACT Relating to nursing assistants; and amending RCW 18.88A.020.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

 

    Sec. 1.  RCW 18.88A.020 and 1994 sp.s. c 9 s 708 are each amended to read as follows:

    Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.

    (1) "Department" means the department of health.

    (2) "Secretary" means the secretary of health.

    (3) "Commission" means the Washington nursing care quality assurance commission.

    (4) "Nursing assistant" means an individual, regardless of title, who, under the direction and supervision of a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse, assists in the delivery of nursing and nursing-related activities to patients in a health care facility.  The two levels of nursing assistants are (a) "nursing assistant-certified," an individual certified under this chapter, (b) "nursing assistant-registered," an individual registered under this chapter.

    (5) "Approved training program" means a nursing assistant-certified training program approved by the commission.  For community college, vocational-technical institutes, skill centers, and secondary school as defined in chapter 28B.50 RCW, nursing assistant-certified training programs shall be approved by the commission in cooperation with the board for community and technical colleges or the superintendent of public instruction.

    (6) "Health care facility" means a nursing home, hospital, hospice care facility, home health care agency, hospice agency, or other entity for delivery of health care services as defined by the commission.  "Health care facility" does not include state hospitals designated in RCW 72.23.020, however nothing in this subsection precludes individuals employed by state hospitals from being credentialed as registered or certified nursing assistants under this chapter.

    (7) "Competency evaluation" means the measurement of an individual's knowledge and skills as related to safe, competent performance as a nursing assistant.

 


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