In addition to the definitions provided in Section 40-1-20, for purposes of this chapter:

(1) "Accreditation" means official authorization or status granted by an agency other than a state board of nursing.

(2) "Active license" means the status of a license that has been renewed for the current period and authorizes the licensee to practice nursing in this State.

(3) "Additional acts" means activities performed by a nurse that expand the scope of practice, as established in law. The following must be submitted in writing to the board for approval before a nurse implements additional acts:

(a) additional activity being requested;

(b) statement with rationale as to how the activity will improve client outcomes;

(c) documentation based on the literature review to support the nurse's performing the additional activity;

(d) qualification requirements, including educational background and experience needed;

(e) special training required, including theory and clinical practice. A nurse must successfully complete a course of 'special education and training' acceptable to the board to perform additional acts; and

(f) evaluation and follow-up procedures.

Additional acts that constitute medical acts must be agreed to jointly by both the Board of Nursing and the Board of Medical Examiners.

(4) "Administration of medications" means the acts of preparing and giving drugs in accordance with the orders of a licensed, authorized nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife, clinical nurse specialist, or a physician, dentist, or other authorized licensed provider as to drug, dosage, route, and frequency; observing, recording, and reporting desired effects, untoward reactions, and side effects of drug therapy; intervening when emergency care is required as a result of drug therapy; appropriately instructing the patient regarding the medication; recognizing accepted prescribing limits and reporting deviations to the prescribing nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife, or clinical nurse specialist, physician, dentist, or other authorized licensed provider.

(5) "Advanced Practice Registered Nurse" or"APRN" means a registered nurse who is prepared for an advanced practice registered nursing role by virtue of additional knowledge and skills gained through an advanced formal education program of nursing in a specialty area that is approved by the board. The categories of APRN are nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife, clinical nurse specialist, and certified registered nurse anesthetist. An advanced practice registered nurse shall hold a doctorate, a post-nursing master's certificate, or a minimum of a master's degree that includes advanced education composed of didactic and supervised clinical practice in a specific area of advanced practice registered nursing. APRNs must achieve national certification within two years post-graduation. An APRN may perform those activities considered to be the practice of registered nursing or advanced practice consisting of nonmedical acts, such as population health management; quality improvement or research projects within a health care system; and analysis of data and corresponding system recommendations, revisions, developments, or informatics. An APRN also may perform specified medical acts pursuant to a practice agreement as defined in item (45).

(6) "Agreed to jointly" means the agreement by the Board of Nursing and Board of Medical Examiners on medical acts that nurses perform and that must be defined in a practice agreement pursuant to item (45).

(7) "Ancillary services" means services associated with the basic services provided to an individual in need of in-home care who needs one or more of the basic services and includes:

(a) homemaker-type services, including shopping, laundry, cleaning, and seasonal chores;

(b) companion-type services, including transportation, letter writing, reading mail, and escorting; and

(c) assistance with cognitive tasks, including managing finances, planning activities, and making decisions.

(8) "Approval" means the process by which the board evaluates nursing education programs, which must meet established uniform and reasonable standards.

(9) "Approved written guidelines" means specific statements developed by a certified registered nurse anesthetist and a supervising licensed physician or dentist or by the medical staff within the facility where practice privileges have been granted.

(10) "Attendant care services" means those basic and ancillary services that enable an individual in need of in-home care to live in the individual's home and community rather than in an institution and to carry out functions of daily living, self-care, and mobility.

(11) "Authorized licensed provider" means a provider of health care services who is authorized to practice by a licensing board in this State where the scope of practice includes authority to order and prescribe drugs in treating patients.

(12) "Basic services" includes:

(a) getting in and out of a bed, wheelchair, motor vehicle, or other device;

(b) assistance with routine bodily functions including health maintenance activities, bathing and personal hygiene, dressing and grooming, and feeding, including preparation and cleanup.

(13) "Board" means the State Board of Nursing for South Carolina.

(14) "Board-approved credentialing organization" means an organization that offers a certification examination in a specialty area of nursing practice, establishes scope and standards of practice statements, and provides a mechanism for evaluating continuing competency in a specialized area of nursing practice which has been approved by the board.

(15) "Business days" means every day except Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays.

(16) "Cancellation" means the withdrawal or invalidation of an authorization to practice that was issued to an ineligible person either in error or based upon a false, fraudulent, or deceptive representation in the application process.

(17) "Certification" of a registered nurse means approval by an established body, other than the board, but recognized by the board, that recognizes the unique, minimal requirements of specialized areas of nursing practice. Certification requires completion of a recognized formal program of study and specialty board examination, if the specialty board exists, and certification of competence in nursing practice by the certifying agency.

(18) "Certified Nurse-Midwife" or "CNM" means an advanced practice registered nurse who holds a master's degree in the specialty area, maintains an American Midwifery Certification Board certificate, and is trained to provide management of women's health care from adolescence beyond menopause, focusing on gynecologic and family planning services, preconception care, pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum, care of the normal newborn during the first twenty-eight days of life, and the notification and treatment of partners for sexually transmitted infections.

(19) "Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist" or"'CRNA" means an advanced practice registered nurse who:

(a) has successfully completed an advanced, organized formal CRNA education program at the master's level accredited by the national accrediting organization of this specialty area and that is recognized by the board;

(b) is certified by a board-approved national certifying organization; and

(c) demonstrates advanced knowledge and skill in the delivery of anesthesia services.

A CRNA must practice in accordance with approved written guidelines developed under supervision of a licensed physician or dentist or approved by the medical staff within the facility where practice privileges have been granted.

(20) "Clinical Nurse Specialist" or "CNS" means an advanced practice registered nurse who is a clinician with a high degree of knowledge, skill, and competence in a practice discipline of nursing. This nurse shall hold a master's degree in nursing, with an emphasis in clinical nursing. These nurses are directly available to the public through the provision of nursing care to clients and indirectly available through guidance and planning of care with other nursing personnel. A CNS who performs medical acts is required to have physician support and to practice pursuant to a practice agreement as defined in item (45). A CNS who does not perform medical acts is not required to have physician support or to practice pursuant to a practice agreement as provided in Section 40-33-34.

(21) "Competence" means the ability of a licensed nurse to perform safely, skillfully, and proficiently the functions within the role of the licensee. The role encompasses the possession and interrelation of essential knowledge, judgment, attitudes, values, skills, and abilities, which are varied and range in complexity. Competence is a dynamic concept, changing as the licensed nurse achieves a higher stage of development, responsibility, and accountability within the role.

(22) "Delivering" means the act of handing over to a patient medications as ordered by an authorized licensed provider and prepared by an authorized licensed provider.

(23) "Dentist" means a dentist licensed by the South Carolina Board of Dentistry.

(24) "Entity" means a sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability partnership, limited liability corporation, association, joint venture, cooperative, company, corporation, or other public or private legal entity authorized by law.

(25) "Expanded role" of a registered nurse means a process of diffusion and implies multi-directional change. Expansion, as a process of role change, is undertaken to fill perceived needs in the health care system, and also to project new components or systems of health care. The authority base for practice from which the expanded role emanates is the body of knowledge that constitutes a nurse's preparation for practice. The expanded role of a registered nurse requires specialized knowledge, judgment, and skill, but does not require or permit medical diagnosis or medical prescription of therapeutic or corrective measures. The expanded role of a licensed practical nurse with special education and training includes performing delegated professional nursing activities, as authorized by the board under the direction and supervision of a registered nurse, but does not authorize violation of state law pertaining to medical or pharmacy practice.

(26) "Graduate Registered Nurse Anesthetist" or "GRNA" means a new graduate of an advanced organized formal education program for nurse anesthetists accredited by the national accrediting organization who must achieve certification within one year of graduation of program completion.

(27) "Graduate Registered Nurse-Midwife" or "GRNM" means a new graduate of an advanced organized formal education program for nurse-midwives accredited by the national accrediting organization. A GRNM is required to become certified within one year of graduation or program completion.

(28) "Health maintenance activities" include, but are not limited to, catheter irrigation, administration of medications, enemas and suppositories, and wound care, if these activities could be performed by an individual if the individual were physically and mentally capable.

(29) "Inactive license" means the official temporary retirement of a person's authorization to practice nursing upon the person's notice to the board that the person does not plan to practice nursing or the status of a license that does not currently authorize a licensee to practice nursing in this State.

(30) "Incompetence" means the failure of a nurse to demonstrate and apply the knowledge, skill, and care that is ordinarily possessed and exercised by other nurses of the same licensure status and required by the generally accepted standards of the profession. Charges of incompetence may be based upon a single act of incompetence or upon a course of conduct or series of acts or omissions that extend over a period of time and that, taken as a whole, demonstrate incompetence. It is not necessary to show that actual harm resulted from the act or omission or series of acts or omissions if the conduct is such that harm could have resulted to the patient or to the public from the act or omission or series of acts or omissions.

(31) "Individual in need of in-home care" means a functionally disabled individual in need of attendant care services because of impairment who requires assistance to complete functions of daily living, self-care, and mobility, including attendant care services.

(32) "Lapsed license" means the termination of a person's authorization to practice nursing due to the person's failure to renew his or her nursing license within the renewal period.

(33) "Letter of caution" means a written caution or warning about past or future conduct issued when it is determined that no misconduct has been committed or that only minor misconduct not warranting the imposition of a sanction has been committed. The issuance of a letter of caution is not a form of discipline and does not constitute a finding of misconduct unless the letter of caution specifically states that misconduct has been committed. The fact that a letter of caution has been issued must not be considered in a subsequent disciplinary proceeding against a person authorized to practice unless the caution or warning contained in the letter of caution is relevant to the misconduct alleged in the proceedings.

(34) "License" means a current document issued by the board authorizing a person to practice as an advanced practice registered nurse, a registered nurse, or a licensed practical nurse.

(35) "Licensed Practical Nurse" or "LPN" means a person to whom the board has issued an authorization to practice as a licensed practical nurse.

(36) "Medical staff" means licensed physicians who are approved and credentialed to provide health care to patients in a hospital system or a facility that provides health care.

(37) "Misconduct" means:

(a) a violation of any of the provisions of this chapter or regulations promulgated by the board pursuant to this chapter; or

(b) a violation of any of the principles of nursing ethics as adopted by the board or incompetence or unprofessional conduct.

(38) "NCLEX" means the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses or Licensed Practical Nurses.

(39) "Nurse" means a person licensed as an advanced practice registered nurse, registered nurse, or licensed practical nurse pursuant to this chapter.

(40) "Nurse Practitioner" or "NP" means a registered nurse who has completed an advanced formal education program at the master's level or doctoral level acceptable to the board, and who demonstrates advanced knowledge and skill in assessment and management of physical and psychosocial health, illness status of persons, families, and groups. Nurse practitioners who perform medical acts must do so pursuant to a practice agreement as defined in item (45).

(41) "Nursing diagnosis" means a clinical judgment about a person, family, or community that is derived through a nursing assessment and the standard nursing taxonomy.

(42) "Orientation" means any introductory instruction into a new practice environment or employment situation where being a nurse is a requirement of employment or where the individual uses any title or abbreviation indicating that the individual is a nurse. Orientation is considered the practice of nursing in this State.

(43) "Person" means a natural person, male or female.

(44) "Physician" means a physician licensed by the South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners who possesses an active, unrestricted, permanent license to practice medicine in this State and who actively is practicing within the geographic boundaries of this State.

(45) "Practice agreement" means a written agreement developed by an NP, CNM, or CNS and a physician or medical staff who agrees to work with and to support the NP, CNM, or CNS. The practice agreement must establish the medical aspects of care to be provided by the NP, CNM, or CNS, including the prescribing of medications. The practice agreement must contain mechanisms that allow the physician to ensure that quality of clinical care and patient safety is maintained in accordance with state and federal laws, as well as all applicable Board of Nursing and Board of Medical Examiners rules and regulations. The practice agreement must comply with Section 40-33-34. A CNM also may practice pursuant to written policies and procedures for practice developed and agreed to with a physician who is board certified or board eligible by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Written policies and procedures constitute a practice agreement for purposes of compliance with Section 40-33-34 and must address medical aspects of care including prescriptive authority and must contain transfer policies and details of the on-call agreement with the physician with whom the policies and procedures were developed and agreed. The on-call physician has the authority to designate another qualified physician to be the on-call physician if necessary. The on-call physician must be available to the CNM to provide medical assistance in person, by telecommunications, or by other electronic means.

(46) "Practice of nursing" means the provision of services for compensation, except as provided in this chapter, that assists persons and groups to obtain or promote optimal health. Nursing practice requires the use of nursing judgment. Nursing judgment is the logical and systematic cognitive process of identifying pertinent information and evaluating data in the clinical context in order to produce informed decisions, which guide nursing actions. Nursing practice is provided by advanced practice registered nurses, registered nurses, and licensed practical nurses. The scope of nursing practice varies and is commensurate with the educational preparation and demonstrated competencies of the person who is accountable to the public for the quality of nursing care. Nursing practice occurs in the state in which the recipient of nursing services is located at the time nursing services are provided.

(47) "Practice of practical nursing" means the performance of health care acts that require knowledge, judgment, and skill and must be performed under the supervision of an advanced practice registered nurse, registered nurse, licensed physician, licensed dentist, or other practitioner authorized by law to supervise LPN practice. The practice of practical nursing includes, but is not limited to:

(a) collecting health care data to assist in planning care of persons;

(b) administering and delivering medications and treatments as prescribed by an authorized licensed provider;

(c) implementing nursing interventions and tasks;

(d) providing basic teaching for health promotion and maintenance;

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

(f) providing for the maintenance of safe and effective nursing care rendered directly or indirectly;

(g) participating with other health care providers in the planning and delivering of health care;

(h) delegating nursing tasks to qualified others;

(i) performing additional acts that require special education and training and that are approved by the board including, but not limited to, intravenous therapy and other specific nursing acts and functioning as a charge nurse.

(48) "Practice of registered nursing" means the performance of health care acts in the nursing process that involve assessment, analysis, intervention, and evaluation. This practice requires specialized independent judgment and skill and is based on knowledge and application of the principles of biophysical and social sciences. The practice of registered nursing includes, but is not limited to:

(a) assessing the health status of persons and groups;

(b) analyzing the health status of persons and groups;

(c) establishing outcomes to meet identified health care needs of persons and groups;

(d) prescribing nursing interventions to achieve outcomes;

(e) implementing nursing interventions to achieve outcomes;

(f) administering and delivering medications and treatments prescribed by an authorized licensed provider;

(g) delegating nursing interventions to qualified others;

(h) providing for the maintenance of safe and effective nursing care rendered directly or indirectly;

(i) providing counseling and teaching for the promotion and maintenance of health;

(j) evaluating and revising responses to interventions, as appropriate;

(k) teaching and evaluating the practice of nursing;

(l) managing and supervising the practice of nursing;

(m) collaborating with other health care professionals in the management of health care;

(n) participating in or conducting research, or both, to enhance the body of nursing knowledge;

(o) consulting to improve the practice of nursing; and

(p) performing additional acts that require special education and training and that are approved by the board.

(49) "Private reprimand" means a statement by the board that a violation was committed by a person authorized to practice which has been declared confidential and which is not subject to disclosure as a public document.

(50) "Probation" means the issuance of an authorization to practice with terms and conditions imposed by the board. The holder of the authorization to practice on probation may petition the board for reinstatement to full, unrestricted practice upon compliance with all terms and conditions imposed by the board.

(51) "Public reprimand" means a publicly available statement of the board that a violation was committed by a person authorized to practice.

(52) "Readily available" means the physician or medical staff who enters into a practice agreement with an NP, CNM, or CNS must be able to be contacted either in person or by telecommunications or other electronic means to provide consultation and advice to the NP, CNM, or CNS performing medical acts.

(53) "Registered Nurse" means a person to whom the board has issued an authorization to practice as a registered nurse.

(54) "Restriction" means a limitation on the activities in which a licensee may engage under an authorization to practice, including revocation, suspension, or probation.

(55) "Revocation" means the cancellation or withdrawal of a license or other authorization issued by the board either permanently or for a period specified by the board before the person is eligible to reapply. A person whose license or other authorization has been permanently revoked by the board is permanently ineligible for a license or other authorization of any kind from the board.

(56) "Special education and training" means an organized advanced course of study acceptable to the board, required to expand a nurse's scope of practice. This educational training must be completed after graduation from one's basic nursing education program and includes both theory and clinical practice.

(57) "Supervision" means the process of critically observing, directing, and evaluating another's performance.

(58) "Suspension" means the temporary withdrawal of authorization to practice for either a definite or indefinite period of time ordered by the board. The holder of a suspended authorization to practice may petition the board for reinstatement to practice upon compliance with all terms and conditions imposed by the board.

(59) "State or jurisdiction in this country" means a state of the United States or the District of Columbia and does not include a territory or dependency of the United States.

(60) "Temporary permit" means a current time-limited document that authorizes the practice of nursing at the level for which one is seeking licensure.

(61) "Underserved or rural area" means an area determined by a federal or state agency authorized to determine such a designation.

(62) "Underserved population" means a population residing in a rural or urban area, which includes, but is not limited to:

(a) persons receiving Medicaid, Medicare, Department of Health and Environmental Health care, or free clinic care;

(b) those residing in long-term care settings or receiving care from a licensed hospice;

(c) those in institutions including, but not limited to, incarceration institutions and mental health institutions; and

(d) persons including, but not limited to, the homeless, HIV patients, children, women, the economically disadvantaged, the uninsured, the underinsured, the developmentally disabled, the medically fragile, the mentally ill, migrants, military persons and their dependents, and veterans and their dependents.

(63) "Unlicensed assistive personnel" or "UAP" are persons not currently licensed by the board as nurses who perform routine nursing tasks that do not require a specialized knowledge base or the judgment and skill of a licensed nurse. Nursing tasks performed by a UAP must be performed under the supervision of an advanced practice registered nurse, registered nurse, or selected licensed practical nurse.

(64) "Unprofessional conduct" means acts or behavior that fail to meet the minimally acceptable standard expected of similarly situated professionals including, but not limited to, conduct that may be harmful to the health, safety, and welfare of the public, conduct that may reflect negatively on one's fitness to practice nursing, or conduct that may violate any provision of the code of ethics adopted by the board or a specialty.

(65) "Voluntary surrender" means the invalidation of a nursing license at the time of its surrender and thereafter. A person whose license is voluntarily surrendered may not practice nursing or represent oneself to be a nurse until the board takes action.

(66) "Volunteer license" means authorization of a retired nurse to provide nursing services to others through an identified charitable organization without remuneration.

HISTORY: 2004 Act No. 225, Section 1; 2005 Act No. 122, Section 1; 2018 Act No. 234 (S.345), Section 1, eff July 1, 2018.

Editor's Note

Prior Laws:1935 (39) 173; 1942 Code Section 5223; 1947 (45) 579; 1952 Code Section 56-951; 1959 (51) 307; 1962 Code Section 56-951; 1969 (56) 263; 1975 (59) 563; 1987 Act No. 114, Section 1; 1989 Act No. 137, Section 1; 2002 Act No. 337, Section 2A; 1976 Code Section 40-33-10.

Effect of Amendment

2018 Act No. 234, Section 1, in (3), in the undesignated paragraph following (f), deleted "delegated" following "constitute" and "and must be promulgated by the Board of Nursing in regulation" following "Board of Medical Examiners"; rewrote (5), relating to the definition of "Advanced Practice Registered Nurse"; in (6), substituted "medical acts that nurses perform and that must be defined in a practice agreement pursuant to item (45)" for "delegated medical acts which nurses perform and which are promulgated by the Board of Nursing in regulation"; deleted (10), which related to the definition of "Approved written protocols", and redesignated (11) to (22) as (10) to (21); rewrote (18), relating to the definition of "Certified Nurse-Midwife"; in (20), in the fourth sentence, deleted "delegated" following "who performs" and substituted "pursuant to a practice agreement as defined in item (45)" for "within approved written protocols", and in the fifth sentence, substituted "pursuant to a practice agreement" for "within approved written protocols"; deleted former (23), which related to the definition of "Delegated medical acts", and redesignated (24) to (37) as (22) to (35); in (27), in the second sentence, substituted "GRNM" for "GRNA"; inserted (36), relating to the definition of "Medical staff", and redesignated (38) to (45) as (37) to (44); in (37), inserted the (a) and (b) designators; in (40), in the first sentence, inserted "or doctoral level" following "master's level", and in the second sentence, substituted "medical acts must do so pursuant to a practice agreement as defined in item (45)" for "delegated medical acts must have a supervising physician or dentist who is readily available for consultation and shall operate within the approved written protocols"; in (44), inserted "who possesses an active, unrestricted, permanent license to practice medicine in this State and who actively is practicing within the geographic boundaries of this State" at the end; inserted (45), relating to the definition of "Practice agreement"; rewrote (52), relating to the definition of "Readily available"; inserted (61), relating to the definition of "Underserved or rural area", and (62), relating to the definition of "Underserved population", and redesignated (61) to (64) as (63) to (66); and made nonsubstantive changes.