Maine Board of Nursing Releases Proposed Rule Change: Public Comment Thru July 9th

• By: Danielle Watford
• On: 07/02/2021 10:45:19
• In: Quality/Regulatory

• No task shall be delegated that is not listed in the Skills Checklist of the PRESCRIBED GENERALIST CURRICULUM FOR NURSING ASSISTANT TRAINING PROGRAMS or authorized after additional training by a facility or organization as described in this chapter. When the task is the administration of medications, nothing may be delegated that is not listed in the Skills Checklist of the Standardized Medication Course for Certified Nursing Assistants.
• The nursing employer shall determine that the nursing assistant holds a valid certificate of training and is listed on the MAINE REGISTRY OF CERTIFIED NURSING ASSISTANTS. The registered professional nurse shall inspect the certificate of training of the nursing assistant and will ensure that the certified nursing assistant meets the competency requirements of the facility or organization.
• Certified Nursing Assistant Additional Skills List includes but is not limited to:

1. Perform an electrocardiogram (EKG)
2. Perform venipuncture for blood collection purposes
3. Perform a straight catheter procedure on an adult patient 18 years or older
4. Provide gastrointestinal-tube (G-Tube) and percutaneous gastrostomy (PEG) gravity tube feeding only to an established G-Tube, G-J Tube or PEG Tube.
5. Assist a patient with eye drops
6. Perform a bladder scan.
7. Obtain a swab for surveillance culture
8. Assist with Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) and Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure (BIPAP) for patients with chronic respiratory conditions such as sleep apnea.

• Approval and monitoring of training programs for nursing assistants shall be carried out in accordance with 32 M.R.S.A. Section 2104. The Department of Education Department of Health and Human Services shall consult with the State Board of Nursing in approving and monitoring training programs for nursing assistants, in accordance with 32 M.R.S.A. Section 2104.
• The Board's PRESCRIBED GENERALIST CURRICULUM FOR NURSING ASSISTANT BASIC TRAINING PROGRAMS shall be utilized for nursing assistant training programs.
• The registered professional nurse, by law, is responsible for the supervision and teaching of nursing personnel. Therefore, a registered professional nurse shall be in charge of the instructional program to prepare assistants to nurses.
• No program shall be conducted that includes less than 90 70 hours of classroom instruction, 20 hours of skills laboratory and 70 40 hours of correlated, supervised clinical practice. (The increase from 80 to 90 hours and from 50 to 70 hours shall be effective January 1, 2010.) (Shall be effective September 1, 2021).
• The ideal clinical instructor/student ratio of one to one ratio is one to one, and this ratio may at times be necessary for adequate learning and safe patient care. In general, the clinical instructor/student ratio must be at least one instructor for every ten students.
• The registered professional nurse instructor must provide direct onsite supervision during clinical learning experiences.
• All course objectives must be met to successfully complete this program. All skills must be demonstrated, and the student must perform return demonstrations satisfactorily, either in the clinical setting or in the skills laboratory.
• Content need not be taught in the order listed. Time may be added and emphasis made by the instructor to highlight certain aspects of the curriculum.
• Students participating in a the Board approved basic CNA training program will not be taught content that is beyond what is provided in Board approved program. Certified nursing assistant programs will not teach content beyond what is included in the Board approved PRESCRIBED GENERALIST CURRICULUM FOR NURSING ASSISTANT TRAINING PROGRAMS.

• The institution or agency conducting the training program or course, as well as the institutions or agencies cooperating with the program, shall be licensed or approved by the appropriate State licensing authority or accredited by the appropriate organization.
• Each registered professional nurse shall be currently licensed to practice as a registered professional nurse in Maine or hold a current registered nurse multistate license issued by a state that has adopted the Nurse Licensure Compact in which the licensee legally resides and meet the federal requirements for nursing assistant instructors [42 CFR 483.152 and 42 CFR 484.36(a)(2)(ii)].
• Only registered professional nurses shall serve as classroom and clinical instructors. Members of other disciplines may assist in the teaching as necessary and desirable.

• Completion of the ninth grade of school (high school graduation or high school equivalency diploma preferred);
• Minimum age of 16 years; and
• Ninth grade English reading and writing competency level on the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE), Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System (CASAS) or other competency assessment mechanisms as approved by the Board.