Code of Maryland Regulations › Title 10 - MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH › Part 4 › Subtitle 27 - BOARD OF NURSING › Chapter 10.27.09 - Standards of Practice for Registered Nurses › Section 10.27.09.01 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 51, No. 14, July 12, 2024
A. In this chapter,
				  the following terms have the meanings indicated.
B. Terms Defined.
(1) "Accountability" means being answerable
				  for the actions of self and others.
(2) "Aggregate" means the sum total of
				  nursing care the client received.
(3) "Assessment" means a systematic, dynamic
				  process by which the nurse, through interaction with the client, family,
				  significant others, and other health care providers, collects and analyzes
				  data.
(4) "Assign" means the
				  transfer of responsibility from one nurse to another with each nurse having the
				  legal authority to perform the function as permitted by the licensee's scope of
				  practice.
(5) "Client" means an
				  individual, family, group, or community under the licensee's direct or indirect
				  care.
(6) "Continuity of care"
				  means an interdisciplinary process that:
(a)
				  Includes the client, family, and significant other in the development and
				  communication of a coordinated plan of care; and
(b) Based on changing needs and available
				  resources, facilitates the client's:
(i) Care
				  within a setting, and
(ii)
				  Transition between settings.
(7) "Criteria" means relevant, measurable
				  indicators of the standards of registered nurse practice.
(8) "Delegate" means the registered nurse:
(a) Invests authority to act on behalf of the
				  registered nurse to an unlicensed person;
(b) Authorizes the unlicensed person to
				  augment and supplement the care the registered nurse provides; and
(c) Retains the accountability and
				  responsibility for the delegated act.
(9) "Evaluation" means the review and
				  analysis of the extent to which the assessment, nursing diagnosis, planning,
				  and implementation is effective in resolving the client's health problems or
				  progress toward the attainment of expected outcomes.
(10) Health Care Providers.
(a) "Health care provider" means an
				  individual with special expertise who provides health care services or
				  assistance to clients.
(b) "Health
				  care provider" includes:
(i) Nurses;
(ii) Physicians;
(iii) Psychologists;
(iv) Social workers;
(v) Nutritionists/dietitians; and
(vi) Various therapists.
(11) "Health care team" means a
				  group of individuals, which includes health care providers and unlicensed
				  personnel, working in collaboration with the client, family, and significant
				  others to achieve identified outcomes.
(12) Health Status Data.
(a) "Health status data" means information
				  obtained through nursing assessment of the client.
(b) "Health status data" includes but is not
				  limited to:
(i) Growth and
				  development;
(ii) Biophysical
				  status;
(iii) Emotional
				  status;
(iv) Cultural, religious,
				  and socioeconomic background;
(v)
				  Activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily
				  living;
(vi) Patterns of
				  coping;
(vii) Interaction
				  patterns;
(viii) Client perception
				  of and degree of satisfaction with health status;
(ix) Client health goals;
(x) Physical, social, emotional, and
				  ecological environments; and
(xi)
				  Access to and availability of human and material resources.
(13) "Implementation"
				  means the process of performing, delegating, assigning, supervising, and
				  coordinating interventions.
(14)
				  "Instrumental activities of daily living" means home management skills such as
				  shopping for food and personal items, preparing meals, or handling
				  money.
(15) "Multistate licensure
				  privilege" has the meaning set forth in COMAR
				  10.27.01.01B.
(16) "Nursing diagnosis" means a
				  description of the actual or potential, overt or covert health problems which
				  registered nurses are licensed to treat.
(17) "Outcomes" means measurable, expected,
				  client-focused goals which translate into observable behaviors.
(18) "Plan of care" means designing methods
				  to solve identified problems and to attain outcomes by means of establishing
				  priorities, setting goals, and defining interventions.
(19) "Process" means the delivery of care and
				  the fulfillment of the practice standards.
(20) "Quality of care" means the degree to
				  which health services for individuals and populations increase the likelihood
				  of desired health outcomes and are consistent with current professional
				  knowledge.
(21) "Recipients of
				  nursing care" means individuals, families, groups, communities, or
				  populations.
(22) "Registered nurse
				  (RN)" means an individual who:
(a) Is
				  licensed by the Board to practice registered nursing; or
(b) Has a multistate licensure privilege to
				  practice registered nursing.
(23) "Responsibility" means the obligation
				  and duty to perform.
(24)
				  "Scientific principles" means a fundamental belief or reason for action derived
				  from an organized system of study.
(25) "Standards of care" means a minimum
				  level of competent nursing practice demonstrated through assessment, analysis,
				  formulation of nursing diagnosis, outcome identification, planning,
				  implementation, and evaluation.
(26) Standards of Registered Nurse Practice.
(a) "Standards of registered nurse practice"
				  means the minimum criteria the registered nurse shall adhere to in the practice
				  of registered nursing.
(b)
				  "Standards of registered nurse practice" includes both standards of care and
				  standards of professional performance.
(27) Standards of Professional Performance.
(a) "Standards of professional performance"
				  means a competent level of behavior in the professional role.
(b) "Standards of professional performance"
				  includes activities related to:
(i) Quality of
				  care;
(ii) Performance
				  appraisal;
(iii)
				  Education;
(iv)
				  Collegiality;
(v) Ethics;
(vi) Collaboration;
(vii) Research;
(viii) Resource utilization;
(ix) Assignment;
(x) Delegation and supervision; and
(xi) Refusal.
(28) "Structure" means:
(a) The environment in which care is
				  provided; and
(b) Resources
				  available to provide care including but not limited to finances, staffing,
				  supplies, equipment, and medical records.
(29) "Technology assessment" means a review
				  of drugs, devices, procedures, and systems in relationship to their safety,
				  effectiveness, and economic and social impact.