Definitions

(1) Abuse. The willful infliction of injury, unreasonable confinement, intimidation or punishment with resulting physical harm, pain or mental anguish. (2) Administrator. A person currently licensed as such by the Tennessee Board of Examiners for Nursing Home Administrators. (3) Adult. An individual who has capacity and is at least 18 years of age. (4) Advance Directive. An individual instruction or a written statement relating to the subsequent provision of health care for the individual, including, but not limited to, a living will or a durable power of attorney for health care. (5) Agent. An individual designated in an advance directive for health care to make a health care decision for the individual granting the power. (6) Board. The Tennessee Board for Licensing Health Care Facilities. (7) Capacity. An individual’s ability to understand the significant benefits, risks, and alternatives to proposed health care and to make and communicate a health care decision. These regulations do not affect the right of a resident to make health care decisions while having the capacity to do so. A resident shall be presumed to have capacity to make a health care decision, to give or revoke an advance directive, and to designate or disqualify a surrogate. Any person who challenges the capacity of a resident shall have the burden of proving lack of capacity. (8) Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). The administering of any means or device to restore or support cardiopulmonary functions in a resident, whether by mechanical devices, chest compressions, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, cardiac massage, tracheal intubation, manual or mechanical ventilations or respirations, defibrillation, the administration of drugs and/or chemical agents intended to restore cardiac and/or respiratory functions in a resident where cardiac or respiratory arrest has occurred or is believed to be imminent. (9) Certified Nurse Aide or Certified Nursing Assistant. An individual who has successfully completed an approved nursing assistant training program and is registered with the department. STANDARDS FOR NURSING HOMES CHAPTER 0720-18 (10) Clinical Fellow. A Speech Language Pathologist who is in the process of obtaining his or her paid professional experience, as defined by a Communications Disorders and Sciences Board-approved accreditation agency, before being qualified for licensure. (11) Commissioner. The Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Health or his or her authorized representative. (12) Competent. A resident who has capacity. (13) Department. The Tennessee Department of Health. (14) Designated Physician. A physician designated by an individual or the individual’s agent, guardian, or surrogate, to have primary responsibility for the individual’s health care or, in the absence of a designation or if the designated physician is not reasonably available, a physician who undertakes such responsibility. (15) Dietitian. A person currently licensed as such by the Tennessee Board of Dietitian/Nutritionist Examiners. Persons exempt from licensure shall be registered with the American Dietetics Association pursuant to T.C.A. § 63-25-104. (16) Director of Nursing (DON). A Registered Nurse employed full-time in a nursing home who satisfies the responsibilities set forth in this chapter. (17) Do-Not-Resuscitate Order (DNR). A written order, other than a POST, not to resuscitate a patient in cardiac or respiratory arrest in accordance with accepted medical practices. (18) Emancipated Minor. Any minor who is or has been married or has by court order or otherwise been freed from the care, custody and control of the minor’s parents. (19) Emergency Responder. A paid or volunteer firefighter, law enforcement officer, or other public safety official or volunteer acting within the scope of his or her proper function under law or rendering emergency care at the scene of an emergency. (20) Guardian. A judicially appointed guardian or conservator having authority to make a health care decision for an individual. (21) Hazardous Waste. Materials whose handling, use, storage, and disposal are governed by local, state or federal regulations. (22) Health Care. Any care, treatment, service or procedure to maintain, diagnose, treat, or otherwise affect an individual’s physical or mental condition, and includes medical care as defined in T.C.A. § 32-11-103(5). (23) Health Care Decision. Consent, refusal of consent or withdrawal of consent to health care. (24) Health Care Decision-Maker. In the case of a resident who lacks capacity, the resident’s health care decision-maker is one of the following: the resident’s health care agent as specified in an advance directive, the resident’s court-appointed guardian or conservator with health care decision-making authority, the resident’s surrogate as determined pursuant to Rule 0720-18-.13 or T.C.A. § 33-3-220, the designated physician pursuant to these rules or in the case of a minor child, the person having custody or legal guardianship. (25) Health Care Institution. A health care institution as defined in T.C.A. § 68-11-1602. STANDARDS FOR NURSING HOMES CHAPTER 0720-18 (26) Health Care Provider. A person who is licensed, certified or otherwise authorized or permitted by the laws of this state to administer health care in the ordinary course of business or practice of a profession. (27) Hospital. Any institution, place, building or agency represented and held out to the general public as ready, willing and able to furnish care, accommodations, facilities and equipment for the use, in connection with the services of a physician or dentist, of one (1) or more nonrelated persons who may be suffering from deformity, injury or disease or from any other condition for which nursing, medical or surgical services would be appropriate for care, diagnosis or treatment. (28) Hospitalization. The reception and care of any person for a continuous period longer than twenty-four (24) hours, for the purpose of giving advice, diagnosis, nursing service or treatment bearing on the physical health of such person, and maternity care involving labor and delivery for any period of time. (29) Incompetent. A resident who has been adjudicated incompetent by a court of competent jurisdiction and has not been restored to legal capacity. (30) Individual Instruction. An individual’s direction concerning a health care decision for the individual. (31) Infectious Waste. Solid or liquid wastes which contain pathogens with sufficient virulence and quantity such that exposure to the waste by a susceptible host could result in an infectious disease. (32) Involuntary Transfer. The movement of a resident between nursing homes, without the consent of the resident, the resident’s legal guardian, next of kin or representative. (33) Licensed Practical Nurse. A person currently licensed as such by the Tennessee Board of Nursing. (34) Licensee. The person or entity to whom the license is issued. The licensee is held responsible for compliance with all rules and regulations. (35) Life Threatening or Serious Injury. Injury requiring the patient to undergo significant additional diagnostic or treatment measures. (36) Medical Director. A licensed physician employed by the nursing home to be responsible for medical care in the facility. (37) Medical Emergency. A medical condition manifesting itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) such that the absence of immediate medical attention could reasonably be expected to result in placing the resident’s health in serious jeopardy, serious impairment to bodily functions or serious dysfunction of any bodily organ or part. (38) Medical Equipment. Equipment used for the diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of patients, including, but not limited to, oxygen care equipment and oxygen delivery systems, enteral and parenteral feeding pumps, and intravenous pumps. (39) Medical Record. Medical histories, records, reports, summaries, diagnoses, prognoses, records of treatment and medication ordered and given, entries, x-rays, radiology interpretations and other written, electronic, or graphic data prepared, kept, made or maintained in a facility that pertains to confinement or services rendered to residents. STANDARDS FOR NURSING HOMES CHAPTER 0720-18 (40) Medically Inappropriate Treatment. Resuscitation efforts that cannot be expected either to restore cardiac or respiratory function to the resident or other medical or surgical treatments to achieve the expressed goals of the informed resident. In the case of the incompetent resident, the resident’s representative expresses the goals of the resident. (41) Misappropriation of Patient/Resident Property. The deliberate misplacement, exploitation or wrongful, temporary or permanent use of an individual’s belongings or money without the individual’s consent. (42) Neglect. The failure to provide goods and services necessary to avoid physical harm, mental anguish or mental illness; however, the withholding of authorization for or provision of medical care to any terminally ill person who has executed an irrevocable living will in accordance with the Tennessee Right to Natural Death Law, or other applicable state law, if the provision of such medical care would conflict with the terms of the living will, shall not be deemed “neglect” for purposes of these rules. (43) NFPA. The National Fire Protection Association. (44) Nurse Aide or Nursing Assistant Training Program. A specialized program approved by the Department to provide classroom instruction and supervised clinical experience for individuals who wish to be employed as Nurse Aides or Nursing Assistants. (45) Nursing Personnel. Licensed nurses and certified nurse aides who provide nursing care. (46) Occupational Therapist. A person currently licensed as such by the Tennessee Board of Occupational and Physical Therapy Examiners. (47) Person. An individual, corporation, estate, trust, partnership, association, joint venture, government, governmental subdivision, agency, or instrumentality, or any other legal or commercial entity. (48) Personally Informing. A communication by any effective means from the resident directly to a health care provider. (49) Pharmacist. A person currently licensed as such by the Tennessee Board of Pharmacy. (50) Physical Therapist. A person currently licensed as such by the Tennessee Board of Occupational and Physical Therapy Examiners. (51) Physician Assistant. A person who has graduated from a physician assistant educational program accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, has passed the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination, and is currently licensed in Tennessee as a physician assistant under Title 63, Chapter 19. (52) Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment or POST. Written orders that: (a) Are on a form approved by the Board for Licensing Health Care Facilities; (b) Apply regardless of the treatment setting and that are signed as required herein by the patient’s physician, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist; and (c) 1. Specify whether, in the event the patient suffers cardiac or respiratory arrest, cardiopulmonary resuscitation should or should not be attempted; 2. Specify other medical interventions that are to be provided or withheld; or STANDARDS FOR NURSING HOMES CHAPTER 0720-18 3. Specify both 1. and 2. (53) Physician. An individual authorized to practice medicine or osteopathy under Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 63, Chapters 6 or 9. (54) Podiatrist. A person currently licensed as such by the Tennessee Board of Registration in Podiatry. (55) Power of Attorney for Health Care. The designation of an agent to make health care decisions for the individual granting the power under T.C.A. Title 34, Chapter 6, Part 2. (56) Program Coordinator. A registered nurse who possesses a minimum of two years nursing experience with at least one year in long term care and is responsible for ensuring that the requirements of the Nurse Aide Training Program are met. (57) Qualified Emergency Medical Service Personnel. Includes, but shall not be limited to, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, or other emergency services personnel, providers, or entities acting within the usual course of their professions, and other emergency responders. (58) Reasonably Available. Readily able to be contacted without undue effort and willing and able to act in a timely manner considering the urgency of the resident’s health care needs. Such availability shall include, but not be limited to, availability by telephone. (59) Registered Nurse. A person currently licensed as such by the Tennessee Board of Nursing. (60) Resident/Patient. Includes but is not limited to any person who is suffering from an illness or injury and who is in need of nursing care. (61) Secured Unit. A facility or distinct part of a facility where residents are intentionally denied egress by any means. (62) Shall or Must. Compliance is mandatory. (63) Social Worker. In a facility with more than 120 beds a qualified social worker is an individual with: (a) A bachelor’s degree in social work or a bachelor’s degree in a human services field including but not limited to sociology, special education, rehabilitation counseling, and psychology; and, (b) One year of supervised social work experience in a health care setting working directly with individuals. (64) Speech Language Pathologist. As defined in T.C.A. § 63-17-103, a person currently licensed as such by the Tennessee Board of Communications Disorders and Sciences. (65) State. A state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. (66) Student. A person currently enrolled in a course of study that is approved by the appropriate licensing board. STANDARDS FOR NURSING HOMES CHAPTER 0720-18 (67) Supervising Health Care Provider. The designated physician or, if there is no designated physician or the designated physician is not reasonably available, the health care provider who has undertaken primary responsibility for an individual’s health care. (68) Surrogate. An individual, other than a resident’s agent or guardian, authorized to make a health care decision for the resident. (69) Survey. An on-site examination by the department to determine the quality of care and/or services provided. (70) Transfer. The movement of a resident between nursing homes at the direction of a physician or other qualified medical personnel when a physician is not readily available. The term does not include movement of a resident who leaves the facility against medical advice. The term does not apply to the commitment and movement of mentally ill and mentally retarded persons, the discharge or release of a resident no longer in need of nursing home care, or a nursing home’s refusal, after an appropriate medical screening, to render any medical care on the grounds that the person does not have a medical need for nursing home care. (71) Treating Health Care Provider. A health care provider who at the time is directly or indirectly involved in providing health care to the resident. (72) Treating Physician. The physician selected by or assigned to the resident and who has the primary responsibility for the treatment and care of the resident. Where more than one physician shares such responsibility, any such physician may be deemed to be the “treating physician.”