Section 211.7. Physician assistants and certified registered nurse practitioners

(a) Physician assistants and certified registered nurse practitioners may be utilized in facilities, in accordance with their training and experience and the requirements in statutes and regulations governing their respective practice.

(b) If the facility utilizes the services of physician assistants or certified registered nurse practitioners, the following apply:

(1) There shall be written policies indicating the manner in which the physician assistants and certified registered nurse practitioners shall be used and the responsibilities of the supervising physician.

(2) There shall be a list posted at each nursing station of the names of the supervising physician and the persons, and titles, whom they supervise.

(3) A copy of the supervising physician’s registration from the State Board of Medicine or State Board of Osteopathic Medicine and the physician assistant’s or certified registered nurse practitioner’s certificate shall be available in the facility.

(4) A notice plainly visible to residents shall be posted in prominent places in the institution explaining the meaning of the terms ‘‘physician assistant’’ and ‘‘certified registered nurse practitioner.’’

(c) Physician assistants’ documentation on the resident’s record shall be countersigned by the supervising physician within 7 days with an original signature and date by the licensed physician. This includes progress notes, physical examination reports, treatments, medications and any other notation made by the physician assistant.

(d) Physicians shall countersign and date their verbal orders to physician assistants or certified registered nurse practitioners within 7 days.

(e) This section may not be construed to relieve the individual physician, group of physicians, physician assistant or certified registered nurse practitioner of responsibility imposed by statute or regulation.

The provisions of this § 211.7 adopted August 29, 1975, effective September 1, 1975, 5 Pa.B. 2233; amended April 23, 1982, effective April 24, 1982, 12 Pa.B. 1316; amended January 31, 1987, effective July 1, 1987, 17 Pa.B. 514; amended July 23, 1999, effective July 24, 1999, 29 Pa.B. 3999; amended October 1, 2010, effective October 2, 2010, 40 Pa.B. 5578. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (336950) and (287197).

Notation

Authority

The provisions of this § 211.7 amended under sections 102, 210(12), 601 and 803 of the Health Care Facilities Act (35 P. S. § § 448.102, 448.201(12), 448.601 and 448.803); and section 2102(g) of The Administrative Code of 1929 (71 P. S. § 532(g)).