term does not include meal breaks, benefit time, vacation,
medical leave, orientation, education or committee time.
"Department." The Department of Health of the Commonwealth.
"Direct care nurse" and "direct care nursing staff." A unit-
based registered nurse, licensed practical nurse or certified
nursing assistant with direct responsibility to oversee or carry
out medical regiments or nursing care for one or more patients.
The term does not include caseworkers, educators or nurse
specialists, including a stoma nurse specialist, cardiac
rehabilitation nurse or wound care nurse, who concentrates on
only one facet of a patient's care and who interacts with
multiple patients in various hospital units.
"Hospital." A health care facility licensed under the act of
July 19, 1979 (P.L.130, No.48), known as the Health Care
Facilities Act. The term includes critical access and long-term
acute care hospitals in both the private and public sector.
"Long-term acute care hospital." A hospital or health care
facility that specializes in providing acute care to medically
complex patients with an anticipated length of stay of more than
25 days. The term includes a free-standing and a hospital-
within-hospital model long-term acute care facility.
"Nursing care." A care service that falls within the scope
of practice provided in the act of May 22, 1951 (P.L.317,
No.69), known as The Professional Nursing Law, or is otherwise
encompassed within recognized professional standards of nursing
practice, including assessment, nursing diagnosis, planning,
intervention, evaluation, patient teaching, discharge planning
and patient advocacy.
"Overflow." When the volume of patients outnumbers the beds
of a licensed unit and the beds in another licensed unit are
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