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<regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".04" citation="COMAR 10.27.09.04" title_num="10" subtitle_num="27" chapter_num="09" heading="Specialty Practice.">
  <paragraph num="A.">
    <text>A registered nurse functioning in a specialty practice shall have additional education, training, and experience. Specialty practice does not include advanced practice nursing.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="B.">
    <text>Definitions.</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>In this regulation, the following terms have the meanings indicated.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Terms Defined.</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>“Critically ill client” means a client who:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>Has developed or is at high risk for developing life threatening problems;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>Requires constant intensive multidisciplinary assessment and intervention to restore stability and prevent complications; and</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(iii)">
          <text>Needs restoration or maintenance of physiologic stability.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>“Interfacility specialty care transport” means the movement of a critically ill client by transport vehicle when the client’s level of care requires the care of a registered nurse during transport.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>On-Line Medical Direction.</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>“On-line medical direction” means  oversight and orders by licensed physicians at base stations to EMS providers or members of the transport team  providing patient care at an Advanced Life Support (ALS) or Basic Life Support (BLS) level.</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>“On-line medical direction” includes medical orders and oversight by a licensed practitioner at a specialty care unit at a hospital to a registered nurse during a specialty care transport, provided the licensed practitioner is permitted by the facility to provide these services and the services are within the scope of the individual’s license.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(d)">
        <text>Licensed Practitioner.</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>“Licensed practitioner” means a dentist, physician, nurse practitioner, nurse anesthetist, or nurse midwife or any other individual permitted by law and the facility to provide care and services within the scope of the individual’s license.</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>“Licensed practitioner” does not include a student in a graduate education program whose practice requires supervision and whose orders must be countersigned.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(e)">
        <text>“Specialty care transport” means transport for all ages of critically ill clients in accordance with the definitions under COMAR 30.09.01.02.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="C.">
    <text>Practice Specialty Care Transport.</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Education, Training, and Experience Requirements. Except  for the provisions under §C(2) and (4) of this regulation, a registered nurse who provides interfacility specialty care transport shall meet the education, training, and experience requirements for staffing an interfacility specialty care transport mission in accordance with COMAR 30.09.14.02G(1)—(3).</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>When a specialty care transport ambulance is not available within a clinically reasonable time, a registered nurse who has not completed a program of study in accordance with COMAR 30.09.14.02G(1)—(3) for the transport of patients by ambulance can provide interfacility specialty care, if:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>The registered nurse has education, training, and experience in the critical care area required by the mission as determined by the referring physician;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>The registered nurse is accompanied by an individual who is currently licensed as a Maryland ALS provider, in accordance with COMAR 30.02.02, to support the registered nurse with the transport; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>On-line medical direction is available to the registered nurse.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>A registered nurse providing specialty care transport who does not have national certification for working with the client population to be transported shall have at least:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>2 years of clinical nursing experience in critical or specialty care within the last 5 years;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Age appropriate advanced life support training; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Nursing expertise in the specialty care area required by the client’s age and diagnosis.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>This regulation does not apply to, restrict, or limit:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Other health care practitioners who are authorized to perform these duties under their respective laws; or</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>A registered nurse providing care to a critically ill patient during a declared natural disaster or emergency.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(5)">
      <text>A registered nurse is prohibited from accepting a transport assignment that exceeds the nurse’s knowledge and expertise.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
</regulation>