Bill Text: NJ A1319 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Permits attending advanced practice nurse to determine cause of death and execute death certification of patient if nurse is patient's primary caregiver.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-03-09 - Substituted by S1152 (1R) [A1319 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2014-A1319-Amended.html

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[First Reprint]

ASSEMBLY, No. 1319

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

216th LEGISLATURE

 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2014 SESSION

 

 

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman  ANNETTE QUIJANO

District 20 (Union)

Assemblyman  BENJIE E. WIMBERLY

District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)

Assemblywoman  NANCY F. MUNOZ

District 21 (Morris, Somerset and Union)

Assemblywoman  MILA M. JASEY

District 27 (Essex and Morris)

 

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman Mosquera and Assemblyman Diegnan

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Permits attending advanced practice nurse to determine cause of death and execute death certification of patient if nurse is patient's primary caregiver.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As reported by the Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee on February 5, 2015, with amendments.

  

An Act concerning the determination of cause of death and amending R.S.26:6-8 ¹, R.S.26:6-10,¹ and P.L.1991, c.377.

 

     Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

     1.    R.S.26:6-8 is amended to read as follows:

     26:6-8. In the execution of a death certificate, the personal particulars shall be obtained by the funeral director from the person best qualified to supply them.  The death and last sickness particulars shall be supplied by the attending, covering ¹,¹ or resident physician; or if there is no attending, covering ¹,¹ or resident physician, by an attending registered professional nurse licensed by the New Jersey Board of Nursing under P.L.1947, c. 262 (C. 45:11-23 et seq.); or if there is no attending, covering ¹,¹ or resident physician or attending registered professional nurse, by the county medical examiner.

     Within a reasonable time, not to exceed 24 hours after the pronouncement of death, the attending, covering ¹,¹ or resident physician, the attending advanced practice nurse pursuant to section 10 of P.L.1991, c.377 (C.45:11-49), or the county medical examiner shall execute the death certification.  The burial particulars shall be supplied by the funeral director.  The attending, covering ¹,¹ or resident physician, ¹the¹ attending advanced practice nurse, the attending registered professional nurse, or the county medical examiner and the funeral director shall certify to the particulars supplied by them by signing their names below the list of items furnished, or by otherwise authenticating their identities and the information that they have provided through the NJ-EDRS.  If a person acting under the direct supervision of the State Medical Examiner, a county medical examiner, funeral director, attending, covering ¹,¹ or resident physician, ¹attending¹ advanced practice nurse, or licensed health care facility or other public or private institution providing medical care, treatment ¹,¹ or confinement to persons, which is registered with the NJ-EDRS, is not authorized to authenticate the information required on a certificate of death or fetal death, that person may enter that information into the NJ-EDRS in anticipation of its authentication by the State Medical Examiner or a county medical examiner, funeral director, attending, covering ¹,¹ or resident physician, attending advanced practice nurse, local registrar, deputy registrar, alternate deputy registrar or subregistrar, as applicable.

(cf: P.L.2003, c.221, s.5)

     ¹2.   R.S.26:6-10 is amended to read as follows:

     26:6-10.  In case the physician or the advanced practice nurse who last attended the deceased is unavailable, so that a certificate of death cannot be obtained from [him] the physician or nurse in time for burial or removal:

     a.    the designated covering physician shall have the primary responsibility, after examining the dead body, and being satisfied that death did not result from some unlawful means, to issue a death certificate; and

     b.    in the absence of the designated covering physician, any other physician, after examining the dead body, and being satisfied that death did not result from some unlawful means, may issue a death certificate.¹

(cf: 2003, c.221, s.8)

 

     ¹[2.]  3.¹    Section 10 of P.L.1991, c.377 (C.45:11-49) is amended to read as follows:

     10.  a.  In addition to all other tasks which a registered professional nurse may, by law, perform, an advanced practice nurse may manage preventive care services ¹[,]¹ and diagnose and manage deviations from wellness and long-term illnesses, consistent with the needs of the patient and within the scope of practice of the advanced practice nurse, by:

     (1)   initiating laboratory and other diagnostic tests;

     (2)   prescribing or ordering medications and devices, as authorized by subsections b. and c. of this section; and

     (3)   prescribing or ordering treatments, including referrals to other licensed health care professionals, and performing specific procedures in accordance with the provisions of this subsection.

     b.    An advanced practice nurse may order medications and devices in the inpatient setting, subject to the following conditions:

     (1)   the collaborating physician and advanced practice nurse shall address in the joint protocols whether prior consultation with the collaborating physician is required  to initiate an order for a controlled dangerous substance;

     (2)   the order is written in accordance with standing orders or joint protocols developed in agreement between a collaborating physician and the advanced practice nurse, or pursuant to the specific direction of a physician;

     (3)   the advanced practice nurse authorizes the order by signing ¹[his] the nurse's¹ own name, printing the name and certification number, and printing the collaborating physician's name;

     (4)   the physician is present or readily available through electronic communications;

     (5)   the charts and records of the patients treated by the advanced practice nurse are reviewed by the collaborating physician and the advanced practice nurse within the period of time specified by rule adopted by the Commissioner of Health ¹[and Senior Services]¹ pursuant to section 13 of P.L.1991, c.377 (C.45:11-52);

     (6)   the joint protocols developed by the collaborating physician and the advanced practice nurse are reviewed, updated ¹,¹ and signed at least annually by both parties; and

     (7)   the advanced practice nurse has completed six contact hours of continuing professional education in pharmacology related to controlled substances, including pharmacologic therapy and addiction prevention and management, in accordance with regulations adopted by the New Jersey Board of Nursing.  The six contact hours shall be in addition to New Jersey Board of Nursing pharmacology education requirements for advanced practice nurses related to initial certification and recertification of an advanced practice nurse as set forth in N.J.A.C.13:37-7.2 ¹[and 13:37-7.5]¹.

     c.    An advanced practice nurse may prescribe medications and devices in all other medically appropriate settings, subject to the following conditions:

     (1)   the collaborating physician and advanced practice nurse  shall address in the joint protocols whether prior consultation with the collaborating physician is required to initiate a prescription for a controlled dangerous substance;

     (2)   the prescription is written in accordance with standing orders or joint protocols developed in agreement between a collaborating physician and the advanced practice nurse, or pursuant to the specific direction of a physician;

     (3)   the advanced practice nurse writes the prescription on a New Jersey Prescription Blank pursuant to P.L.2003, c.280 (C.45:14-40 et seq.), signs ¹[his] the nurse's own¹ name to the prescription and prints ¹[his] the nurse's¹ name and certification number;

     (4)   the prescription is dated and includes the name of the patient and the name, address ¹,¹ and telephone number of the collaborating physician;

     (5)   the physician is present or readily available through electronic communications;

     (6)   the charts and records of the patients treated by the advanced practice nurse are periodically reviewed by the collaborating physician and the advanced practice nurse;

     (7)   the joint protocols developed by the collaborating physician and the advanced practice nurse are reviewed, updated ¹,¹ and signed at least annually by both parties; and

     (8)   the advanced practice nurse has completed six contact hours of continuing professional education in pharmacology related to controlled substances, including pharmacologic therapy and addiction prevention and management, in accordance with regulations adopted by the New Jersey Board of Nursing.  The six contact hours shall be in addition to New Jersey Board of Nursing pharmacology education requirements for advanced practice nurses related to initial certification and recertification of an advanced practice nurse as set forth in N.J.A.C.13:37-7.2 ¹[and 13:37-7.5]¹.

     d.    The joint protocols employed pursuant to subsections b. and c. of this section shall conform with standards adopted by the Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs pursuant to section 12 of P.L.1991, c.377 (C.45:11-51) or section 10 of P.L.1999, c.85 (C.45:11-49.2), as applicable.

     e.    (Deleted by amendment, P.L.2004, c.122.)

     f.     An attending advanced practice nurse may determine and certify the cause of death of the nurse's patient ¹[when no attending, covering, or resident physician is available to do so,]¹ and ¹[may]¹ execute the death certification pursuant to R.S.26:6-8 ¹if no collaborating physician is available to do so and the nurse is the patient's primary caregiver¹.

(cf: P.L.2004, c.122, s.2)

 

     ¹[3.] 4.¹     a.  The Commissioner of Health shall, in accordance with the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), adopt such rules and regulations as the commissioner deems necessary to carry out the provisions of this act.

     b.    The New Jersey Board of Nursing shall, in accordance with the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), adopt such rules and regulations as the board deems necessary to carry out the provisions of this act.

 

     ¹[4.] 5.¹     This act shall take effect on the 120th day after enactment, but the Commissioner of Health and the New Jersey Board of Nursing may take such anticipatory administrative action in advance thereof as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.