§457-2 Definitions. (a) As used in this chapter unless the content otherwise requires:

"Advanced practice registered nurse" means a registered nurse who has met the qualifications for advanced practice registered nurse licensure set forth in this chapter and through rules of the board, which shall include educational requirements.

"Board" means the state board of nursing.

"Competency" means the ability of a nurse to integrate knowledge, skills, judgment and personal attributes to practice safely and ethically in the professional nursing position and in accordance with the scope of nationally recognized nursing practices.

"Contact hour" means the same as section 16-89-2, Hawaii Administrative Rules.

"Continuing competency" means the long-term educational and professional process by which an individual undertakes and documents with verifiable evidence a personal learning plan that encompasses a periodic self-assessment of personal strengths and weaknesses as present in the individual's practice as a nurse as well as a commitment to furthering the individual's professional knowledge relating to the nursing field.

"Distant site" means the location of the nurse delivering services through telehealth at the time the services are provided.

"Licensure and discipline data" means identifying information that includes but is not limited to the licensee's name, address, social security number, date of birth, and nursing education.

"NCSBN" means the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.

"Nurse" means a person licensed under this chapter or a person who holds a license under the laws of another state or territory of the United States that is equivalent to a license under this chapter.

"Nursys" means an integrated process for collecting, storing, and sharing information on nurse licensure and enforcement activities related to nurse licensure laws that is administered by a nonprofit organization composed of and controlled by licensing boards.

"Originating site" means the location where the patient is located, whether accompanied or not by a health care provider, at the time services are provided by a nurse through telehealth, including but not limited to a nurse's or health care provider's office, hospital, health care facility, a patient's home, and other non-medical environments such as school-based health centers, university-based health centers, or the work location of a patient.

"Telehealth" means the use of telecommunications as that term is defined in section 269-1, to encompass four modalities: store and forward technologies, remote monitoring, live consultation, and mobile health; and which shall include but not be limited to real-time video conferencing-based communication, secure interactive and non-interactive web-based communication, and secure asynchronous information exchange, to transmit patient medical information, including diagnostic-quality digital images and laboratory results for medical interpretation and diagnosis, to support long-distance clinical health care while a patient is at an originating site and the nurse is at a distant site, patient and professional health-related education, public health and health administration, to the extent that it relates to nursing.

"The practice of nursing as a licensed practical nurse" [Repeal and reenactment on July 1, 2017 by L 2012, c 255, §5 deleted by L 2016, c 2, §2.] means the performance of those acts commensurate with the required educational preparation and demonstrated competency of the individual, whereby the individual shall be accountable and responsible to the consumer for the quality of nursing care rendered. The foregoing may include, but shall not be limited to: implementation of basic nursing procedures in the plan of care; observing and caring for individuals at all levels of the health spectrum, giving counsel and acting to safeguard life and health and functioning as a part of the health care team, under the direction of a dentist, physician, osteopathic physician, registered nurse, or podiatrist licensed in accordance with chapter 448, 453, 457, or 463E, or under the orders of a physician assistant licensed pursuant to chapter 453, practicing with physician supervision as required by chapter 453, and acting as the agent of the supervising physician; administration of treatment and medication as prescribed; promotion of health maintenance of individuals, families, or groups; or teaching and supervision of auxiliary personnel.

"The practice of nursing as a registered nurse" [Repeal and reenactment on July 1, 2017 by L 2012, c 255, §5 deleted by L 2016, c 2, §2.] means the performance of professional services commensurate with the educational preparation and demonstrated competency of the individual having specialized knowledge, judgment, and skill based on the principles of the biological, physical, behavioral, and sociological sciences and nursing theory, whereby the individual shall be accountable and responsible to the consumer for the quality of nursing care rendered. The foregoing may include but shall not be limited to observation, assessment, development, implementation, and evaluation of a plan of care, health counseling, supervision and teaching of other personnel, and teaching of individuals, families, and groups in any stage of health or illness; administration, supervision, coordination, delegation, and evaluation of nursing practice; provision of health care to the patient in collaboration with other members of the health care team as autonomous health care professionals providing the nursing component of health care; or use of reasonable judgment in carrying out prescribed medical orders of a licensed dentist, physician, osteopathic physician, or podiatrist licensed in accordance with chapter 448, 453, or 463E; orders of an advanced practice registered nurse licensed in accordance with this chapter; or the orders of a physician assistant licensed pursuant to chapter 453, practicing with physician supervision as required by chapter 453, and acting as the agent of the supervising physician.

(b) Definitions applicable to this chapter shall also include those used in the NCSBN Model Nursing Practice Act and the Model Nursing Administrative Rules unless the context otherwise requires. Where a definition in the NCSBN Model Nursing Practice Act or Model Nursing Administrative Rules conflicts with a definition in [this] chapter or 436B, the definitions contained in [this] chapter or 436B and the rules of the board shall apply. [L 1970, c 71, pt of §1; am L 1985, c 238, §1; am L 1994, c 277, §§3, 4; am L 1996, c 150, §1; am L 2000, c 9, §1; am L 2009, c 11, §61; am L 2010, c 57, §5; am L 2012, c 255, §2; am L 2014, c 46, §3; am L 2015, c 127, §3; am L 2016, c 18, §3 and c 226, §11]

Cross References

Practice of telemedicine by physicians, see §453-1.3.