Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1000-02-.14 - STANDARDS OF NURSING COMPETENCE
The Board requires all nurses to document evidence of competence in their current practice role. The Board believes that the individual nurse is responsible for maintaining and demonstrating competence in the practice role whether the recipient of the nursing intervention is the individual, family, community, nursing staff, nursing student body, or other.
(1) Standards of Nursing
Practice for the Licensed Practical Nurse.
(a) Standards Related to the Licensed
Practical Nurse's Contribution to and Responsibility for the Nursing Process -
The Licensed Practical Nurse shall:
1.
Contribute to the nursing assessment by collecting, reporting and recording
objective and subjective data in an accurate and timely manner.
2. Participate in the development of the plan
of care/action in consultation with a Registered Nurse.
3. Participate in the assisting and giving of
safe direct care.
4. Participate in
establishing and maintaining a therapeutic nurse/client relationship.
5. Seek resources for patients/clients with
cultural, physical or language barriers.
6. Contribute to the evaluation of the
responses of individuals or groups to nursing interventions and participate in
revising the plan of care where appropriate.
7. Communicate accurately in writing and
orally with recipients of nursing care and other professionals.
(b) Standards Relating to the
Licensed Practical Nurse's Responsibilities as a Member of the Health Team -
The Licensed Practical Nurse shall:
1.
Integrate knowledge of the statutes and regulations governing nursing and
function within the legal and ethical boundaries of practical nursing
practice.
2. Demonstrate personal
responsibility for individual nursing actions and currency of
competence.
3. Consult with
Registered Nurses and/or other health team members and seek guidance as
necessary.
4. Identify practice
abilities and limitations and obtain instruction and supervision as necessary
when implementing essential functions of the practice role.
5. Report unsafe practice and unsafe practice
conditions to recognized legal authorities and to the Board where
appropriate.
6. Conduct practice
without discrimination on the basis of age, race, religion, sex, sexual
preference, national origin, language, handicap, or disease.
7. Demonstrate respect for the dignity and
rights of clients regardless of social or economic status, personal attributes
or nature of health problems.
8.
Protect confidential information, unless obligated by law to disclose such
information.
9. Demonstrate respect
for the property of clients, family, significant others, and the
employer.
10. Participate in
activities designed to improve health care delivery in any setting.
11. Exhibit ethical behavior.
(2) All applicants for
licensure, renewal of license, reactivation of license, or reinstatement of
license must demonstrate competency.
(a) For
new licensees, successfully completing the requirements of Rule .01 or .02, as
applicable, shall be considered proof of sufficient competence to constitute
compliance with this rule.
(b) For
Practical Nurses who are practicing full or part time, attesting to having
practiced nursing during the past five (5) years and attesting to maintaining a
personal file documenting professional competence shall be considered proof of
sufficient competence to constitute compliance with this rule. Such personal
file shall include evidence of continued competency in the work setting which
shall consist of at least two (2) of the following parts:
1. Having had a satisfactory employer
evaluation.
2. Having had a
satisfactory peer evaluation
3.
Having a satisfactory patient/client relationship.
4. Having a contract renewal, re-appointment,
or continuing contract.
5. Having
completed a written self-evaluation based on the standards in paragraph
(1).
6. Having initially obtained or maintained,
during the most recent biennial renewal period, certification from a nationally
recognized certification body appropriate to practice.
7. Having identified two (2) or more areas of
interest or goals and subsequently having developed, implemented and evaluated,
during the most recent biennial renewal period, a plan to demonstrate
competency for these areas of interest or goals based on the standards in
paragraph (1).
8. Having performed
activities including, but not limited to:
(i)
Satisfactory volunteer work in a position using nursing knowledge, skills, and
abilities. Examples are:
(I) The Red
Cross.
(II) Homeless
clinics.
(III) Parish
nursing.
(ii) Service
relevant to nursing on local, state, or national boards, commissions,
foundations, or agencies.
9. Having successfully completed five (5)
contact hours of continuing education /in-service education applicable to the
licensee's practice.
10. Having had
an article published relevant to nursing.
11. Having successfully completed a two (2)
week Board-approved nursing refresher program.
12. Having successfully completed a two (2)
week Board-approved comprehensive orientation program offered by a prospective
nursing employer.
13. Having
enrolled in an approved/accredited program leading to licensure as a Registered
or Practical Nurse or to an advanced degree in nursing.
(i) The individual must have satisfactorily
completed two (2) hours of nursing credits or equivalent during the past five
(5) years.
(ii) An official
transcript verifying the completion of nursing courses shall be
maintained.
14. Having
retaken and successfully completed the examination required in Rule .01 of this
chapter.
(c) For
Practical Nurses who wish to maintain an active license who are not practicing
fulltime, part-time, or are not self employed, attesting to any of the
following activities which require the expertise of the Practical Nurse shall
be considered proof of sufficient competence to constitute compliance with this
rule.
1. Having performed Board-approved
activities including, but not limited to:
(i)
Satisfactory volunteer work in a position using nursing knowledge, skills, and
abilities. Examples are:
(I) The Red
Cross.
(II) Homeless
clinics.
(III) Parish
nursing.
(ii) Service
relevant to nursing on local, state, or national boards, commissions,
foundations, or agencies.
2. Having successfully completed five (5)
contact hours of continuing education for each year of inactivity.
3. Having had an article published during the
period of inactivity in a professional journal acceptable to the
Board.
4. Having successfully
completed a two (2) week Board-approved nursing refresher program.
5. Having successfully completed a two (2)
week Board-approved comprehensive orientation program offered by a prospective
nursing employer.
6. Having
enrolled in an approved/accredited program leading to licensure as a Registered
or Practical Nurse or to an advanced degree in nursing.
(i) The individual must have satisfactorily
completed two (2) hours of nursing credits or equivalent during the past five
(5) years.
(ii) An official
transcript verifying the completion of nursing courses shall be
submitted.
7. Having
retaken and successfully completed the examination required in Rule .01 of this
chapter.
(d) For
Practical Nurses who have not practiced for more than (5) years and do not
intend to practice in the future, compliance with this subparagraph is not
required. For Practical Nurses who have not practiced for more than five (5)
years and are applicants for licensure, renewal of license, reactivation of
license, or reinstatement of license, the appropriate application and one (1)
of the following shall be submitted as evidence of continued nursing
competence:
1. Proof of successful completion
of five (5) contact hours of continuing education for each year of
inactivity.
2. Proof of having had
an article published during the period of inactivity in a professional journal
acceptable to the Board.
3. Proof
of successful completion of a two (2) week Board-approved nursing refresher
program.
4. Proof of successful
completion of a two (2) week Board-approved comprehensive orientation program
offered by a prospective nursing employer.
5. Proof of enrollment in an
approved/accredited program leading to licensure as a Registered or Practical
Nurse or to an advanced degree in nursing.
(i) The individual must have satisfactorily
completed two (2) hours of nursing credits or equivalent during the past five
(5) years.
(ii) An official
transcript verifying the completion of nursing courses shall be
submitted.
6. Proof of
current certification in an appropriate nursing specialty area.
7. Proof of retaking and successfully
completing the examination required in Rule .01 of this chapter.
(e) Documentation of compliance
1. Each licensee must retain documentation of
completion of all continued competence requirements of this rule for a period
of four (4) years from when the requirements were completed. This documentation
must be produced for inspection and verification, if requested in writing by
the Board during its verification process.
2. The licensee must, within thirty (30) days
of a request from the Board, provide evidence of continued competence
activities.
3. Any licensee who
fails to complete the continued competence activities or who falsely certifies
completion of continued competence activities may be subject to disciplinary
action pursuant to T.C.A. §§
63-7-115,
63-7-116,
63-7-120, and 637-207.
Notes
Authority: T.C.A. §§ 4-5-202, 4-5-204, 63-7-101, 63-7-108, 63-7-114, 63-7-115, 63-7-116, 63-7-120, and 63-7-207.
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