26

 

Third Session, 44th General Assembly

50 Elizabeth II, 2001

BILL 26

AN ACT TO AMEND THE REGISTERED
NURSES ACT

Received and Read the First Time

Second Reading

Committee

Third Reading

Royal Assent

HONOURABLE JULIE BETTNEY

Minister of Health and Community Services

Ordered to be printed by the Honourable House of Assembly

 

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Bill would amend the Registered Nurses Act to provide authority for the council of the Association of Registered Nurses of Newfoundland and Labrador, subject to the approval of the Minister of Health and Community Services, and following consultation with relevant health care professionals and administrators, to authorize qualified nurse practitioners to practice in the manner and to the extent set out in a practice protocol issued to the nurse practitioner.

The Bill would also provide for the appointment of the committee referred to above and determine its duties and authority.

 

A BILL

AN ACT TO AMEND THE REGISTERED
NURSES ACT

Analysis

1. S.11.1 R&S
Powers of a nurse
practitioner

2. S.21 Amdt.
Revocation of registration

3. S.22.1 R&S
22.1 Consultative and
approvals committee
22.2 Regulations

Be it enacted by the Lieutenant-Governor and House of Assembly in Legislative Session convened, as follows:


RSN1990 cR-9
as amended

1. Section 11.1 of the Registered Nurses Act is repealed and the following substituted:

Powers of nurse practitioner

11.1 (1) A nurse practitioner licensed under this Act may

(a) communicate to a patient or that person's substitute decision maker a diagnosis made by that nurse practitioner identifying a disease or disorder which may be identified from

(i) the patient's health history,

(ii) the findings of a health examination performed by the nurse practitioner, and

(iii) the results of any laboratory or other tests the nurse practitioner is authorized to perform;

(b) order the application of a form of energy

(i) prescribed by the regulations, or

(ii) which he or she is authorized to order by a practice protocol issued to him or her by the council under the regulations;

(c) order laboratory or other tests

(i) prescribed by the regulations, or

(ii) which he or she is authorized to order by a practice protocol issued to him or her by the council under the regulations; and

(d) prescribe a drug

(i) designated to in the regulations, or

(ii) which he or she is authorized to prescribe by a practice protocol issued to him or her by the council under the regulations.

(2) A nurse practitioner shall not communicate a diagnosis made under paragraph (1)(a) unless he or she has complied with the standards and scope of practice respecting collaboration with members of other health professions

(a) prescribed in the regulations; or

(b) set by a practice protocol issued to him or her by the council under the regulations.

 

2. Subsection 21(2) of the Act is amended by adding immediately after paragraph (d) the following:

(d.1) the failure of a nurse practitioner to practice in accordance with a practice protocol issued to him or her;

 

3. Section 22.1 of the Act is repealed and the following substituted:

Consultative and approvals committee

22.1 (1) The minister shall appoint a committee of health care professionals and administrators, including

(a) a person nominated by the Newfoundland Medical Board;

(b) a person nominated by the Newfoundland Pharmaceutical Association;

(c) a person nominated by the Association of Registered Nurses of Newfoundland and Labrador; and

(d) the other members the minister considers it appropriate to appoint.

(2) Decisions of the committee shall be made by a majority vote of the members appointed under subsection (1) provided that at least one member appointed under each of paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) vote in agreement with that majority vote.

(3) The committee shall provide advice to

(a) the minister and the council with respect to regulations made under section 22.2;

(b) hospital boards constituted under the Hospitals Act;

(c) regional health and community services boards established under the Health and Community Services Act; and

(d) the board and foundation established and continued under the Cancer Treatment and Research Foundation Act.

(4) The committee shall annually review and report to the minister and the council on regulations governing the activities of nurse practitioners.

(5) The committee is authorized, as provided for by regulations which the council, subject to the approval of the minister, may make, to approve practice protocols.

(6) The committee and the members individually are not liable for anything done in good faith in the performance of their duties under this section and the regulations.

Regulations

22.2 #9; The council, subject to the approval of the minister and following consultation by both of them with the committee appointed under section 22.1, may make regulations,

(a) prescribing the forms of energy that a nurse practitioner may order and prescribing the purpose for which and the circumstances in which the form of energy may be applied;

(b) prescribing the laboratory and other tests that a nurse practitioner may prescribe;

(c) designating the drugs that a nurse practitioner may prescribe and the circumstances under which the drugs may be prescribed;

(d) prescribing an approval process for a practice protocol for nurse practitioners to authorise the nurse practitioner to practice in the manner and to the extent set out in the practice protocol; and

(e) generally to establish the standards and scope of practice of nurse practitioners.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

©Earl G. Tucker, Queen's Printer