Rhode Island Code of Regulations › Title 216 - Department of health › Chapter 20 - Community Health › Subchapter 15 - Information for Health Care Professionals › Part 7 - Immunization, Testing, and Health Screening for Health Care Workers › Section 216-RICR-20-15-7.4 - Definitions

Current through June 14, 2024
A. Wherever used in these Regulations, the
				  following terms shall be construed as follows:
1. "Advance practice registered nurse" or
				  "APRN" means an individual licensed in accordance with R.I. Gen. Laws §
											5-34-45.
2. "Advisory Committee on Immunization
				  Practices (ACIP) recommendations", as used in these Regulations, means official
				  Federal recommendations for the use of vaccines in the United States and as
				  published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ACIP
				  recommendations represent the standard of care for immunization practice in the
				  United States.
3. "Assisted living
				  residence" means as defined in R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-17.4 2(4).
4. "Assisted living residence worker" means
				  any person who is temporarily or permanently employed by the assisted living
				  residence, or who serves as a volunteer in an assisted living residence, or any
				  person who is compensated by a third (3rd) party
				  that has an agreement with the assisted living residence to provide staffing
				  services and has or may have direct contact with a patient in that assisted
				  living residence. This may include, but not be limited to students and
				  trainees, contractual staff not employed by the assisted living residence;
				  other health care providers, including those who have privileges at, but are
				  not employed by, the assisted living residence; and persons (e.g., clerical,
				  dietary, housekeeping, laundry, security, maintenance, administrative, billing,
				  and volunteers) not directly involved in patient care but potentially exposed
				  to infectious agents that can be transmitted from person to person. This term
				  shall not apply to a residence's family member or friend who visits or
				  otherwise assists in the care of that patient in an assisted living
				  residence.
5. "Department" means the
				  Rhode Island Department of Health.
6. "Direct patient contact" means any
				  routinely anticipated face-to-face interaction with patients in a health care
				  facility.
7. "Director" means the
				  Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health or his or her
				  designee.
8. "Healthcare facility",
				  as used herein, means a facility as defined in R.I. Gen. Laws §
											23-17-2(9),
				  as well as adult daycare programs, as defined in R.I. Gen. Laws §
											23-1-52 and stations, as defined in R.I. Gen. Laws § 2316.2-2.
9. "Healthcare worker" means any person who
				  is temporarily or permanently employed by a health care facility, or who serves
				  as a volunteer in a health care facility, or any person who is compensated by a
				  third (3rd) party that has an agreement with the
				  health care facility to provide staffing services, and has or may have direct
				  contact with a patient in that health care facility. This may include, but not
				  be limited to, a physician, physician assistant, nurse, nursing assistant,
				  therapist, technician, clinician, behavioral analyst, social worker,
				  occupational, physical or speech therapist, phlebotomist, emergency medical
				  service personnel, dental personnel, pharmacist, laboratory personnel, autopsy
				  personnel, students and trainees, contractual staff not employed by the
				  health-care facility; other health care providers, including those who have
				  privileges at, but are not employed by, the health care facility; and persons
				  (e.g., clerical, dietary, housekeeping, laundry, security, maintenance,
				  administrative, billing, and volunteers) not directly involved in patient care
				  but potentially exposed to infectious agents that can be transmitted from
				  person to person. This term shall not apply to a patient's family member or
				  friend who visits or otherwise assists in the care of that patient in a health
				  care facility.
10. "Nurse" means an
				  individual licensed in this State to practice nursing pursuant to the
				  provisions of R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 5-34.
11. "Period in which flu is widespread" means
				  a period that commences when the Director declares that there is an outbreak of
				  influenza that is widespread within a facility, or within a defined geographic
				  area in which the facility is located, or throughout Rhode Island; and that
				  ends when the Director declares to such a health care facility or facilities
				  that the outbreak is no longer widespread.
12. "Physician" means an individual licensed
				  under the provisions of R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 5-37.
13. "Physician assistant" means an individual
				  licensed in this State to practice as a physician assistant pursuant to the
				  provisions of R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 5-54.
14. "Practitioner" means a physician, advance
				  practice registered nurse, registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, or a
				  physician assistant.
15.
				  "Pre-employment health screening" means the review of health records, pertinent
				  laboratory results, and other documentation of a health care worker performed
				  by a licensed practitioner in order to determine that the health care worker is
				  free of the communicable diseases cited in these Regulations, and is also
				  appropriately immunized, tested, and counseled prior to employment.
16. "Up to date" means a person has received
				  all recommended doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, including any booster dose(s),
				  when eligible.