WSR 98-23-071

PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

(Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission)

[Filed November 17, 1998, 8:38 a.m.]

Subject of Possible Rule Making: Amending WAC 246-840-700 Standards of nursing conduct or practice, 246-840-705 Functions of a licensed practice nurse, 246-840-710 Violations of standards of nursing conduct or practice, and 246-840-715 Standards/competencies.

Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: RCW 18.79.110.

Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: These amendments are necessary to make these four practice standards easier to understand. There are several redundancies within the rules, a subsection in WAC 246-840-715 which should be listed under WAC 246-840-700 as it is the more logical rule for this section and a definition of competencies is unclear.

Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: None.

Process for Developing New Rule: During the mandatory review of all significant or controversial rules according to the governor's executive order, these rules were identified as needing amendment because the content is redundant in some areas, the titles do not clearly reflect the content and the definition in one rule is not clear. Members of the public were invited to attend public meetings and interested persons were provided a copy of the rules to comment on.

Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Terry J. West, Program Manager, Department of Health, P.O. Box 47864, Olympia, WA 98504, phone (360) 236-4712, fax (360) 236-4738.

October 14, 1998

Paula Q. Meyer

Executive Director