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| THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
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| HOUSE BILL |
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| INTRODUCED BY GINGRICH, BAKER, CALTAGIRONE, D. COSTA, CUTLER, DELOZIER, FLECK, HALUSKA, HARHART, HICKERNELL, M. KELLER, KORTZ, MANDERINO, MARSHALL, McGEEHAN, MILNE, MURT, OLIVER, PICKETT, PYLE, READSHAW, REICHLEY, SEIP, SIPTROTH, SOLOBAY, SONNEY, STABACK, SWANGER, TALLMAN, J. TAYLOR, WATSON, SAYLOR, CREIGHTON, HORNAMAN AND RAPP, JUNE 9, 2009 |
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| REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, JUNE 9, 2009 |
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| AN ACT |
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1 | Requiring a circulating nurse in certain operating rooms. |
2 | The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
3 | hereby enacts as follows: |
4 | Section 1. Short title. |
5 | This act shall be known and may be cited as the Circulating |
6 | Nurse Act. |
7 | Section 2. Purpose. |
8 | The purpose of this legislation is to require a registered |
9 | nurse to be the circulating nurse in an operating room for the |
10 | safety of the patient. |
11 | Section 3. Definitions. |
12 | The following words and phrases when used in this act shall |
13 | have the meanings given to them in this section unless the |
14 | context clearly indicates otherwise: |
15 | "Anesthesia." Includes general anesthesia and spinal or |
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1 | major regional anesthesia. It does not include local anesthesia. |
2 | General anesthesia is a drug-induced loss of consciousness |
3 | during which patients are not arousable, even by painful |
4 | stimulation. The ability to independently maintain ventilatory |
5 | function is often impaired. Patients often require assistance in |
6 | maintaining a patent airway, and positive pressure ventilation |
7 | may be required because of depressed spontaneous ventilation or |
8 | drug-induced depression of neuromuscular function. |
9 | Cardiovascular function may be impaired. |
10 | "Deep sedation/analgesia." A drug-induced depression of |
11 | consciousness during which patients cannot be easily aroused but |
12 | respond purposefully following repeated or painful stimulation. |
13 | The ability to independently maintain ventilatory function may |
14 | be impaired. Patients may require assistance in maintaining a |
15 | patent airway, and spontaneous ventilation may be inadequate. |
16 | Cardiovascular function is usually maintained. |
17 | "Health care facility." Any hospital or class C ambulatory |
18 | surgical facility as defined by 28 Pa. Code Pt. IV (relating to |
19 | health facilities). |
20 | "Operating room of the facility." The phrase shall only |
21 | include the number of operating rooms covered by a health care |
22 | facility's license issued by the Department of Health. |
23 | "Registered nurse." An individual licensed under the laws of |
24 | this Commonwealth to practice professional nursing. |
25 | Section 4. Operating room staff. |
26 | Only a registered nurse, licensed in this Commonwealth, |
27 | qualified by training and experience in operating room nursing |
28 | shall function as a circulating nurse during all surgical |
29 | procedures performed in a health care facility under general |
30 | anesthesia or deep sedation in a health care facility's |
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1 | operating room. |
2 | Section 5. Effective date. |
3 | This act shall take effect in 60 days. |
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