Section R4-19-508. Standards Related to Registered Nurse Practi- tioner Scope of Practice

A.      An RNP shall refer a patient to a physician or another health care provider if the referral will protect the health and welfare of the patient and consult with a physician and other health care providers if a situation or condition occurs in a patient that is beyond the RNP's knowledge and experience.

B.       In addition to the scope of practice permitted a registered nurse, a registered nurse practitioner, under A.R.S. §§ 32-1601

(19)  and  32-1606(B)(12),   may  perform  the  following  acts within the limits of the population focus of certification:

1.        Examine a patient and establish a medical diagnosis by client history, physical examination, and other criteria.

2.        For a patient who requires the services of a health care facility:

a.         Admit the patient to the facility,

b.        Manage the care the patient receives in the facility, and

c.         Discharge the patient from the facility.

3.        Order and interpret laboratory, radiographic, and other diagnostic tests, and perform those tests that the RNP is qualified to perform.

4.        Prescribe, order, administer and dispense therapeutic measures including pharmacologic agents and devices if authorized under R4-19-511, and non-pharmacological interventions including, but not limited to, durable medi- cal equipment, nutrition, home health care, hospice, phys- ical therapy and occupational therapy.

5.        Identify, develop, implement, and evaluate a plan of care for a patient to promote, maintain, and restore health.

6.        Perform therapeutic procedures that the RNP is qualified to perform.

7.        Delegate therapeutic measures to qualified assistive per- sonnel including medical assistants under R4-19-509.

8.        Perform additional acts that the RNP is qualified to per- form and that are generally recognized as being within the role and population focus of certification.

C.      An RNP shall only provide health care services including pre- scribing and dispensing within the RNP’s population focus and role and for which the RNP is educationally prepared and for which competency has been established and maintained. Edu- cational preparation means academic coursework or continu- ing education activities that include both theory and supervised clinical practice.

Historical Note

Adopted effective February 25, 1987 (Supp. 87-1). For- mer Section R4-19-505 renumbered to R4-19-506, new Section R4-19-505 renumbered from R4-19-504 effective November 18, 1994 (Supp. 94-4). Former Section R4-19- 505 repealed, new Section R4-19-505 renumbered from R4-19-504 and amended effective November 25, 1996 (Supp. 96-4). Amended by final rulemaking at 5 A.A.R.

4300, effective October 18, 1999 (Supp. 99-4). Former R4-19-508 renumbered to R4-19-513; new R4-19-508 renumbered from R4-19-505 and amended by final rulemaking at 11 A.A.R. 3804, effective November 12,

2005 (Supp. 05-3). Amended by final rulemaking at 13

A.A.R. 1483, effective June 2, 2007 (Supp. 07-2). Pursu- ant to authority of A.R.S. § 41-1011(C), Laws 2012, Ch. 152, § 1, provides for A.R.S. references to be corrected to reflect the renumbering of definitions. Therefore one of

the A.R.S. citations in subsection (B) was updated.

Agency request filed July 12, 2012, Office File No. M12- 242 (Supp. 12-3). Amended by final rulemaking at 19

A.A.R. 1438, effective July 6, 2013 (Supp. 13-2).