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148.171 DEFINITIONS; TITLE.

Subdivision 1.Title.

Sections 148.171 to 148.285 shall be referred to as the Minnesota Nurse Practice Act.

Subd. 2.Scope.

As used in sections 148.171 to 148.285, the definitions in this section have the meanings given.

Subd. 3.Advanced practice registered nurse.

"Advanced practice registered nurse," abbreviated APRN, means an individual licensed as a registered nurse by the board and certified by a national nurse certification organization acceptable to the board to practice as a clinical nurse specialist, nurse anesthetist, nurse-midwife, or nurse practitioner.

Subd. 3a.Assignment.

"Assignment" means the designation of nursing tasks or activities to be performed by another nurse or unlicensed assistive person.

Subd. 4.Board.

"Board" means the Minnesota Board of Nursing.

Subd. 5.Clinical nurse specialist practice.

"Clinical nurse specialist practice" means the provision of patient care in a particular specialty or subspecialty of advanced practice registered nursing within the context of collaborative management, and includes: (1) diagnosing illness and disease; (2) providing nonpharmacologic treatment, including psychotherapy; (3) promoting wellness; and (4) preventing illness and disease. The certified clinical nurse specialist is certified for advanced practice registered nursing in a specific field of clinical nurse specialist practice.

Subd. 6.Collaborative management.

"Collaborative management" is a mutually agreed-upon plan between an advanced practice registered nurse and one or more physicians or surgeons licensed under chapter 147 that designates the scope of collaboration necessary to manage the care of patients. The advanced practice registered nurse and the one or more physicians must have experience in providing care to patients with the same or similar medical problems, except that certified registered nurse anesthetists may continue to provide anesthesia in collaboration with physicians, including surgeons, podiatrists licensed under chapter 153, and dentists licensed under chapter 150A. Certified registered nurse anesthetists must provide anesthesia services at the same hospital, clinic, or health care setting as the physician, surgeon, podiatrist, or dentist.

Subd. 7.Consultation.

"Consultation" means the process in which an advanced practice registered nurse who maintains primary management responsibility for a patient's care seeks advice or opinion of a physician or another member of the health care team.

Subd. 7a.Delegation.

"Delegation" means the transfer of authority to another nurse or competent, unlicensed assistive person to perform a specific nursing task or activity in a specific situation.

Subd. 7b.Intervention.

"Intervention" means any act or action, based upon clinical judgment and knowledge that a nurse performs to enhance the health outcome of a patient.

Subd. 8.Licensed practical nurse.

"Licensed practical nurse," abbreviated LPN, means an individual licensed by the board to practice practical nursing.

Subd. 8a.Monitoring.

"Monitoring" means the periodic inspection by a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse of a delegated or assigned nursing task or activity and includes: (1) watching during the performance of the task or activity; (2) periodic checking and tracking of the progress of the task or activity being performed; (3) updating a supervisor on the progress or completion of the task or activity performed; and (4) contacting a supervisor as needed for direction and consultation.

Subd. 9.Nurse.

"Nurse" means registered nurse, advanced practice registered nurse, and licensed practical nurse unless the context clearly refers to only one category.

Subd. 10.Nurse-midwife practice.

"Nurse-midwife practice" means the management of women's primary health care, focusing on pregnancy, childbirth, the postpartum period, care of the newborn, and the family planning and gynecological needs of women and includes diagnosing and providing nonpharmacologic treatment within a system that provides for consultation, collaborative management, and referral as indicated by the health status of patients.

Subd. 11.Nurse practitioner practice.

"Nurse practitioner practice" means, within the context of collaborative management: (1) diagnosing, directly managing, and preventing acute and chronic illness and disease; and (2) promoting wellness, including providing nonpharmacologic treatment. The certified nurse practitioner is certified for advanced registered nurse practice in a specific field of nurse practitioner practice.

Subd. 12.

[Repealed, 2013 c 31 s 11]

Subd. 12a.Patient.

"Patient" means a recipient of nursing care, including an individual, family, group, or community.

Subd. 13.Practice of advanced practice registered nursing.

The "practice of advanced practice registered nursing" means the performance of clinical nurse specialist practice, nurse-midwife practice, nurse practitioner practice, or registered nurse anesthetist practice as defined in subdivisions 5, 10, 11, and 21. The practice includes functioning as a direct care provider, case manager, consultant, educator, and researcher. The practice of advanced practice registered nursing also includes accepting referrals from, consulting with, cooperating with, or referring to all other types of health care providers, including but not limited to physicians, chiropractors, podiatrists, and dentists, provided that the advanced practice registered nurse and the other provider are practicing within their scopes of practice as defined in state law. The advanced practice registered nurse must practice within a health care system that provides for consultation, collaborative management, and referral as indicated by the health status of the patient.

Subd. 14.Practice of practical nursing.

The "practice of practical nursing" means the performance, with or without compensation, of those services that incorporates caring for individual patients in all settings through nursing standards recognized by the board at the direction of a registered nurse, advanced practice registered nurse, or other licensed health care provider and includes, but is not limited to:

(1) conducting a focused assessment of the health status of an individual patient through the collection and comparison of data to normal findings and the individual patient's current health status, and reporting changes and responses to interventions in an ongoing manner to a registered nurse or the appropriate licensed health care provider for delegated or assigned tasks or activities;

(2) participating with other health care providers in the development and modification of a plan of care;

(3) determining and implementing appropriate interventions within a nursing plan of care or when delegated or assigned by a registered nurse;

(4) implementing interventions that are delegated, ordered, or prescribed by a licensed health care provider;

(5) assigning nursing activities or tasks to other licensed practical nurses (LPNs);

(6) assigning and monitoring nursing tasks or activities to unlicensed assistive personnel;

(7) providing safe and effective nursing care delivery;

(8) promoting a safe and therapeutic environment;

(9) advocating for the best interests of individual patients;

(10) assisting in the evaluation of responses to interventions;

(11) collaborating and communicating with other health care providers;

(12) providing health care information to individual patients;

(13) providing input into the development of policies and procedures; and

(14) accountability for the quality of care delivered, recognizing the limits of knowledge and experience; addressing situations beyond the nurse's competency; and performing to the level of education, knowledge, and skill ordinarily expected of an individual who has completed an approved practical nursing education program described in section 148.211, subdivision 1.

Subd. 15.Practice of professional nursing.

The "practice of professional nursing" means the performance, with or without compensation, of those services that incorporates caring for all patients in all settings through nursing standards recognized by the board and includes, but is not limited to:

(1) providing a comprehensive assessment of the health status of a patient through the collection, analysis, and synthesis of data used to establish a health status baseline and plan of care, and address changes in a patient's condition;

(2) collaborating with the health care team to develop and coordinate an integrated plan of care;

(3) developing nursing interventions to be integrated with the plan of care;

(4) implementing nursing care through the execution of independent nursing interventions;

(5) implementing interventions that are delegated, ordered, or prescribed by a licensed health care provider;

(6) delegating nursing tasks or assigning nursing activities to implement the plan of care;

(7) providing safe and effective nursing care;

(8) promoting a safe and therapeutic environment;

(9) advocating for the best interests of individual patients;

(10) evaluating responses to interventions and the effectiveness of the plan of care;

(11) collaborating and coordinating with other health care professionals in the management and implementation of care within and across care settings and communities;

(12) providing health promotion, disease prevention, care coordination, and case finding;

(13) designing and implementing teaching plans based on patient need, and evaluating their effectiveness;

(14) participating in the development of health care policies, procedures, and systems;

(15) managing, supervising, and evaluating the practice of nursing;

(16) teaching the theory and practice of nursing; and

(17) accountability for the quality of care delivered, recognizing the limits of knowledge and experience; addressing situations beyond the nurse's competency; and performing to the level of education, knowledge, and skill ordinarily expected of an individual who has completed an approved professional nursing education program as described in section 148.211, subdivision 1.

Subd. 16.Prescribing.

"Prescribing" means the act of generating a prescription for the preparation of, use of, or manner of using a drug or therapeutic device in accordance with the provisions of section 148.235. Prescribing does not include recommending the use of a drug or therapeutic device which is not required by the federal Food and Drug Administration to meet the labeling requirements for prescription drugs and devices. Prescribing also does not include recommending or administering a drug or therapeutic device perioperatively by a certified registered nurse anesthetist.

Subd. 17.Prescription.

"Prescription" means a written direction or an oral direction reduced to writing provided to or for an individual patient for the preparation or use of a drug or therapeutic device.

Subd. 18.Public health nurse.

"Public health nurse" means a registered nurse who meets the voluntary registration requirements established by the board by rule.

Subd. 19.Referral.

"Referral" means the process in which an advanced practice registered nurse directs a patient to a physician or another health care professional for management of a particular problem or aspect of the patient's care.

Subd. 20.Registered nurse.

"Registered nurse," abbreviated RN, means an individual licensed by the board to practice professional nursing.

Subd. 21.Registered nurse anesthetist practice.

"Registered nurse anesthetist practice" means the provision of anesthesia care and related services within the context of collaborative management, including selecting, obtaining, and administering drugs and therapeutic devices to facilitate diagnostic, therapeutic, and surgical procedures upon request, assignment, or referral by a patient's physician, dentist, or podiatrist.

Subd. 22.Registered nurse, certified.

"Registered nurse, certified," abbreviated RN,C, means a registered nurse who has received certification from a national nursing organization or national nurse certification organization for practice according to subdivision 15 in a specialized field of professional nursing. A registered nurse, certified, shall not practice advanced practice registered nursing as described in subdivision 5, 10, 11, 13, or 21.

Subd. 23.Supervision.

"Supervision" means the guidance by a registered nurse in the accomplishment of a nursing task or activity. Supervision consists of monitoring, as well as establishing, the initial direction, delegating, setting expectations, directing activities and courses of action, evaluating, and changing a course of action.

Subd. 24.Unlicensed assistive personnel.

"Unlicensed assistive personnel" (UAP) means any unlicensed person to whom nursing tasks or activities may be delegated or assigned, as approved by the board.

Official Publication of the State of Minnesota
Revisor of Statutes