(a) As used in this chapter:
(1) "Certifying agency" means the state department of health.
(2) "Director" means the director of the state department of health, or his or her designee.
(3) "Nursing assistant" is defined as a nurses' aide, orderly, or home health aide who is a paraprofessional trained to give personal care and related health care and assistance based on his or her level of preparation to individuals who are sick, disabled, dependent, or infirmed and who are residents of or who receive services from healthcare facilities licensed pursuant to chapter 17 of this title or receiving services from agencies licensed pursuant to chapter 17.7 of this title. The director of the department of health may, by regulation, establish different levels of nursing assistants.
(b) Nursing assistants shall be supervised by professional (registered nurses) and other appropriate professional members of a healthcare facility or physician.
(c) Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter, nothing in this section shall apply to those persons designated solely as personal-care attendants, or programs established and administered for the purpose of providing personal-care-attendant service, established by chapter 8.1 of title 40.
(d) No provision of this chapter shall apply to those persons who are actively matriculated in a bachelor of science in nursing, associate degree program in nursing, an accredited licensed practical nursing program, or registered nurse course of study in a national league for nursing accredited nursing program, provided those persons have completed a minimum of two (2) clinical courses and provided those individuals are supervised by a R.N.
(e) No provision of this chapter or of the rules and regulations pertaining to Rhode Island certificates of registration for nursing assistants, medication aides, and the approval of nursing assistant and medication aide training programs, including the provisions related to medication aides, shall apply to those persons who are actively matriculated in a bachelor of science in nursing, associate degree program in nursing, an accredited licensed practical nursing program, or registered nurse course of study in a national league for nursing accredited nursing program; provided, those persons have completed a minimum of two (2) clinical courses and appropriate training in medication administration and provided those individuals are supervised by a registered nurse.
History of Section.
P.L. 1987, ch. 564, § 1; P.L. 1988, ch. 653, § 2; P.L. 1991, ch. 105, § 1; P.L. 1991, ch. 301, § 1; P.L. 1992, ch. 435, § 2; P.L. 1993, ch. 73, § 1; P.L. 2016, ch. 182, § 1; P.L. 2016, ch. 191, § 1.