Opinion ID: 1873993
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Compensability of Nursing Services

Text: Tennessee Code Annotated section 50-6-204(a)(1) (1999) provides that nursing services ... as ordered by the attending physician ... as may be reasonably required ... [1] are compensable. In Sullivan ex rel. Hightower v. Edwards Oil Co., 141 S.W.3d 544 (Tenn.2004), this Court construed section 50-6-204(a)(1) to require that nursing services be rendered by a professional nurse, rather than by a family member, in order to be compensable. Id. at 548. In Sullivan, we held that a mother was not entitled to compensation for the care she provided to her adult daughter because the mother was not a professional nurse. Id. Here, however, Mrs. Long testified that she is a certified nurse technician. In Tennessee, certified nurse technicians, also called nurse aides, are licensed by the state Department of Health. See Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1200-8-6-.15 (2005). The Department of Health defines certified nurse aides as nursing personnel. See id. at 1200-8-6-.01(33). Although Mrs. Long testified that she was not working as a nurse aide at the time of Long's surgery, she testified that her certification and license were current at the time. Thus, she was a person whom the medical profession recognizes as a nurse. Sullivan, 141 S.W.3d at 548. Unlike the care-giver in Sullivan, Mrs. Long is a nursing professional licensed to give precisely the type of care required by her husband in this case. Mid-Tennessee argues that because Mrs. Long rendered nursing services voluntarily and without charge to her husband, her services were merely wifely duties and are not compensable. However, we believe this argument penalizes the Longs for the situation that Mid-Tennessee created by refusing to pay for nursing care. Under the circumstances, where workers' compensation benefits were denied, it was likely more economically feasible for the Longs to have Mrs. Long, a nursing professional, care for her husband rather than finding the resources to pay another professional. We see no reason and no statutory basis to require a family to hire a stranger to provide compensable services when a member of the family is qualified to provide those services. Tennessee Code Annotated section 50-6-204(a)(1) also requires that to be compensable, the nursing services must be ordered by the attending physician. Here, the record does not contain an express order from Dr. Rosen authorizing Long to receive home nursing services. Both Long and Mrs. Long testified, however, that because Long was in a full leg cast, had developed a staph infection, and was bedridden, he required continuous care. Moreover, they testified that they understood from Dr. Rosen that Long required home nursing care. As we have often observed, the Workers' Compensation Act is remedial in nature and is to be given a liberal and equitable construction in favor of workers. Sullivan Elec. Co. v. McDonald, 541 S.W.2d 112, 115 (Tenn.1976). We think that a physician discharging a patient to home, knowing that the patient will be confined to a bed and unable to ambulate or perform other functions without assistance, and knowing that the patient will require care such as changing wound dressings or requiring other such attention, must certainly contemplate that nursing services will be required. The statute requires only that a physician order the services, not that the order be reduced to writing. Here, the Longs' testimony that they understood Dr. Rosen to authorize nursing services was unrebutted. Under these unique circumstances, therefore, it was error for the trial court to refuse to award compensation to Mrs. Long for her services. Long argues that Mrs. Long's compensation should be based on her lost wages at Whirlpool, the job at which she was employed when she took leave to care for Long. However, the statute provides that it is the nursing services that are compensable, not Mrs. Long's lost wages. Therefore, we remand to the trial court for a determination of the value of the nursing services rendered by Mrs. Long, based on the cost of obtaining comparable care from a similarly licensed certified nurse technician or nurse aide at the time of Long's care.