R432-100-13. Nursing Care Services

  (1) There shall be an organized nursing department that is integrated with other departments and services.

  (a) The chief nursing officer of the nursing department shall be a registered nurse with demonstrated ability in nursing practice and administration.

  (b) Nursing policies and procedures, nursing standards of patient care, and standards of nursing practice shall be approved by the chief nursing officer.

  (c) A registered nurse shall be designated and authorized to act in the chief nursing officer's absence.

  (d) Nursing tasks may be delegated pursuant to R156-31-701, Delegation of Nursing Tasks.

  (2) Qualified registered nurses shall be on duty at all times to give patients nursing care that requires the judgment and special skills of a registered nurse. The nursing department shall develop and maintain a system for determining staffing requirements for nursing care on the basis of demonstrated patient need, intervention priority for care, patient load, and acuity levels.

  (3) Nursing care shall be documented for each patient from admission through discharge.

  (a) A registered nurse shall be responsible to document each patient's nursing care and coordinate the provision of interdisciplinary care.

  (b) Nursing care documentation shall include the assessments of patient's needs, clinical diagnoses, intervention identified to meet the patient's needs, nursing care provided and the patients response, the outcome of the care provided, and the ability of the patient, family, or designated caregiver in managing the continued care after discharge.

  (c) Patients shall receive prior to discharge written instructions for any follow-up care or treatment.