Definitions

1In this regulation:

"Act"  means the Health Professions Act;

"compound"  means

(a) in sections 6 (1) (k) (i) and (l) (i) and 7 (1) (f) (i), to mix a drug with one or more other ingredients, and

(b) in section 6 (1) (m), to mix 2 or more ingredients;

"dispense"  has the same meaning as in the Pharmacy Operations and Drug Scheduling Act,

(a) excluding a sale as defined in that Act, and

(b) including receipt of payment on behalf of a registrant's employer for a drug dispensed or administered by the registrant, if the registrant's employer lawfully requires payment for that drug from a person in respect of the individual for or to whom it is dispensed or administered;

"enteral instillation"  means instillation directly into the gastrointestinal tract;

"health professional"  means

(a) a person who is authorized under an enactment to practice dentistry, medicine, midwifery, naturopathic medicine or podiatry in British Columbia, or

(b) a nurse practitioner;

"nurse practitioner"  means a registrant who is authorized under the bylaws to practise nursing as a nurse practitioner;

"nursing"  means the health profession in which a person provides the following services:

(a) health care for the promotion, maintenance and restoration of health, and

(b) prevention, treatment and palliation of illness and injury, primarily by

(i)  assessment of health status,

(ii)  planning and implementation of interventions, and

(iii)  coordination of health services;

"nursing diagnosis"  means a clinical judgment of an individual's mental or physical condition to determine whether the condition can be ameliorated or resolved by appropriate interventions of the registrant to achieve outcomes for which the registrant is accountable;

"order"  means an instruction or authorization given by any method by a health professional for a registrant to provide a service that includes the performance of an activity described in section 7 (1) to or for a named individual, if the health professional has assessed that individual, and includes

(a) an instruction or authorization regarding the time or times at which the service is to be initiated by a registrant, and

(b) this instruction or authorization if it incorporates by reference, in whole or in part and with any changes the health professional considers necessary or appropriate, a guideline, protocol or other recorded description of a course of action or decision-making process to be used by a registrant in providing the service to or for a specified class of individuals;

"parenteral instillation"  means instillation directly into the blood stream;

"prescribe"  means to issue a prescription as defined in the Pharmacy Operations and Drug Scheduling Act;

"substance"  includes air and water but excludes a drug specified in Schedule I, IA, II or IV of the Drug Schedules Regulation, B.C. Reg. 9/98.

[am. B.C. Reg. 157/2009, s. 1.]

College name

2The name "College of Registered Nurses of British Columbia" is the name of the college established under section 15 (1) of the Act for nursing.

Reserved title

3(1)  The following titles are reserved for exclusive use by registrants:

(a) nurse;

(b) registered nurse;

(c) licensed graduate nurse.

(2)  The titles "nurse practitioner" and "registered nurse practitioner" are reserved for exclusive use by nurse practitioners.

(3)  All nurse practitioners may be known by the title "registered nurse".

(4)  This section does not prevent a person from using the title "nurse"in a manner authorized by another regulation under section 12 of the Act.

Scope of practice

4A registrant may practise nursing.

Patient relations program

5The college is designated for the purposes of section 16 (2) (f) of the Act.

Restricted and provisional registrant classes

5.1(1)  Effective December 1, 2010, the college is authorized to establish, under section 19 (1) (i) of the Act, a class of restricted registrants for the purposes of section 20 (4.2) of the Act.

(2)  The college is authorized to establish, under section 19 (1) (i) of the Act, a class of provisional registrants, for the purposes of section 20 (4.3) of the Act.

[en. B.C. Reg. 157/2009, s. 2.]

Restricted activities

6(1)  A registrant in the course of practising nursing may do any of the following:

(a) make a nursing diagnosis identifying a condition as the cause of the signs or symptoms of an individual;

(b) for the purpose of wound care, including suturing of skin lacerations, perform a procedure on tissue below the dermis or below the surface of a mucous membrane;

(c) for the purposes of collecting a blood sample or donation, perform venipuncture;

(d) for the purposes of establishing intravenous access, maintaining patency or managing hypovolemia,

(i)  perform venipuncture, or

(ii)  administer a solution by parenteral instillation;

(e) administer

(i)  the following by inhalation:

(A)  oxygen or humidified air;

(B)  a mixture of oxygen and nitrous oxide, for the purpose of pain management during labour,

(ii)  nutrition by enteral instillation, or

(iii)  purified protein derivative by injection, for the purpose of tuberculosis screening;

(f) for the purposes of assessment or ameliorating or resolving a condition identified through the making of a nursing diagnosis, administer a solution

(i)  by irrigation, or

(ii)  by enteral instillation;

(g) for the purposes of assessment or ameliorating or resolving a condition identified through the making of a nursing diagnosis, put an instrument or a device, hand or finger

(i)  into the external ear canal, up to the eardrum,

(ii)  beyond the point in the nasal passages where they normally narrow,

(iii)  beyond the pharynx,

(iv)  beyond the opening of the urethra,

(v)  beyond the labia majora,

(vi)  beyond the anal verge, or

(vii)  into an artificial opening into the body;

(h) for the purposes of assessment or ameliorating or resolving a condition identified through the making of a nursing diagnosis, put into the external ear canal, up to the eardrum,

(i)  air that is under pressure created by the use of an otoscope, or

(ii)  water that is under pressure equal to or less than the pressure created by the use of an ear bulb syringe;

(h.1) manage labour in an institutional setting if the primary maternal care provider is absent;

(i) apply ultrasound for the purposes of bladder volume measurement, blood flow monitoring or fetal heart monitoring;

(j) apply electricity for the purpose of defibrillation in the course of emergency cardiac care;

(j.1) in the course of assessment, issue an instruction or authorization for another person to apply, to a named individual,

(i)  ultrasound for diagnostic or imaging purposes, including any application of ultrasound to a fetus, or

(ii)  X-rays for diagnostic or imaging purposes, except X-rays for the purpose of computerized axial tomography;

(k) in respect of a drug specified in Schedule II of the Drug Schedules Regulation,

(i)  compound the drug,

(ii)  dispense the drug, or

(iii)  administer the drug by any method;

(l) in respect of a drug specified in Schedule I of the Drug Schedules Regulation,

(i)  compound the drug,

(ii)  dispense the drug, or

(iii)  administer the drug by any method

for the purposes of

(iv)  treating

(A)  anaphylaxis,

(B)  cardiac dysrhythmia,

(C)  opiate overdose,

(D)  respiratory distress in a known asthmatic,

(E)  hypoglycemia,

(F)  post-partum hemorrhage, or

(G)  conditions that are symptomatic of influenza-like illness, or

(v)  preventing disease using immunoprophylactic agents and post-exposure chemoprophylactic agents;

(m) if nutrition is administered by enteral instillation, compound or dispense a therapeutic diet.

(2)  Section 7 (2) does not apply to the provision by a registrant of a service that includes the performance of an activity described in subsection (1).

[am. B.C. Regs. 157/2009, ss. 3 and 4; 162/2009; 250/2009.]

Restricted activities for services under an order

7(1)  A registrant in the course of practising nursing may do any of the following:

(a) perform a procedure on tissue below the dermis, below the surface of a mucous membrane or in or below the surface of the cornea;

(b) administer a substance

(i)  by injection,

(ii)  by inhalation,

(iii)  by mechanical ventilation,

(iv)  by irrigation,

(v)  by enteral instillation or parenteral instillation, or

(vi)  by using a hyperbaric chamber;

(c) put an instrument or a device, hand or finger

(i)  into the external ear canal, up to the eardrum,

(ii)  beyond the point in the nasal passages where they normally narrow,

(iii)  beyond the pharynx,

(iv)  beyond the opening of the urethra,

(v)  beyond the labia majora,

(vi)  beyond the anal verge, or

(vii)  into an artificial opening into the body;

(d) put into the external ear canal, up to the ear drum, a substance that is under pressure;

(d.1) apply ultrasound for diagnostic or imaging purposes, including application of ultrasound to a fetus;

(e) apply electricity for the purposes of destroying tissue or affecting activity of the heart or nervous system;

(e.1) apply laser for the purpose of destroying tissue;

(f) in respect of a drug specified in Schedule I or IA of the Drug Schedules Regulation,

(i)  compound the drug,

(ii)  dispense the drug, or

(iii)  administer the drug by any method;

(g) conduct challenge testing for allergies

(i)  that involves injection, scratch tests or inhalation, if the individual being tested has not had a previous anaphylactic reaction, or

(ii)  by any method, if the individual being tested has had a previous anaphylactic reaction;

(h) conduct desensitizing treatment for allergies

(i)  that involves injection, scratch tests or inhalation, if the individual being treated has not had a previous anaphylactic reaction, or

(ii)  by any method, if the individual being treated has had a previous anaphylactic reaction.

(i) and (j) Repealed. [B.C. Reg. 157/2009, s. 5 (e).]

(2)  A registrant may provide a service that includes the performance of an activity described in subsection (1) only if

(a) the registrant provides the service for the purpose of complying with an order, and

(b) at the time of the provision of the service by the registrant

(i)  the health professional who gives the order is authorized under an enactment to provide the service, and

(ii)  the registrant is authorized under the Act to provide the service.

[am. B.C. Regs. 157/2009, ss. 5 and 6; 213/2010.]

Restricted activities for certified practices

8(1)  A registrant in the course of practising nursing may do any of the following:

(a) perform an activity described in section 7 (1), except compound, dispense or administer a drug specified in Schedule IA of the Drug Schedules Regulation, B.C. Reg. 9/98;

(b) make a diagnosis identifying a disease, disorder or condition as the cause of the signs or symptoms of the individual.

(c) and (d) Repealed. [B.C. Reg. 157/2009, s. 7 (c).]

(2)  Section 7 (2) does not apply to the provision by a registrant of a service that includes the performance of an activity described in subsection (1) (a), if the registrant is certified in respect of that service as described in subsection (3).

(3)  A registrant may provide a service that includes the performance of an activity described in subsection (1) only if, before providing the service, the registrant has successfully completed a certification program established, required or approved under the bylaws to ensure that registrants are qualified and competent to provide that service in the practice setting in which it is to be provided by the registrant.

[am. B.C. Reg. 157/2009, ss. 7 to 9.]

Restricted activities for nurse practitioners

9(1)  A nurse practitioner in the course of practising nursing may do any of the following:

(a) perform an activity described in section 7 (1), except compound, dispense or administer a drug specified in Schedule IA of the Drug Schedules Regulation;

(b) provide or perform an activity described in section 8 (1) (b);

(c) set or cast a closed simple fracture of a bone, or reduce a dislocation of a joint,

(d) apply X-rays for diagnostic or imaging purposes, except X-rays for computerized axial tomography;

(e) give an order to apply one or more of the following forms of energy:

(i)  ultrasound for diagnostic or imaging purposes, including any application of ultrasound to a fetus;

(ii)  X-rays, for diagnostic or imaging purposes, including X-rays for the purpose of computerized axial tomography;

(iii)  laser for the purpose of destroying tissue;

(f) prescribe or give an order to compound, dispense or administer by any method a drug specified in Schedule I or II of the Drug Schedules Regulation, B.C. Reg. 9/98;

(g) if nutrition is administered by enteral instillation or parenteral instillation, select ingredients for a therapeutic diet.

(2)  Section 7 (2) or 8 (3) does not apply to the provision by a nurse practitioner of a service that includes the performance of an activity described in subsection (1) (a) or (b).

(3)  A nurse practitioner may provide a service that includes the performance of an activity described in subsection (1) only if

(a) standards, limits or conditions have been established, under section 19 (1) (k) or (l) of the Act, respecting the activity, and

(b) the standards, limits and conditions described in paragraph (a) are established on the recommendation of a committee that

(i)  is established under section 19 (1) (t) of the Act, and

(ii)  has the duty and power to develop, review and recommend those standards, limits or conditions.

(4)  A registrant may provide a service that includes the performance of an activity described in subsection (1) (c) to (f) only if the registrant is a nurse practitioner.

[am. B.C. Reg. 157/2009, ss. 10 to 12.]

Repealed

10Repealed. [B.C. Reg. 284/2008, s. 10 (2), as am. by B.C. Reg. 255/2009.]