The Florida Senate

429.255  Use of personnel; emergency care.--

(1)(a)  Persons under contract to the facility, facility staff, or volunteers, who are licensed according to part I of chapter 464, or those persons exempt under s. 464.022(1), and others as defined by rule, may administer medications to residents, take residents' vital signs, manage individual weekly pill organizers for residents who self-administer medication, give prepackaged enemas ordered by a physician, observe residents, document observations on the appropriate resident's record, report observations to the resident's physician, and contract or allow residents or a resident's representative, designee, surrogate, guardian, or attorney in fact to contract with a third party, provided residents meet the criteria for appropriate placement as defined in s. 429.26 Nursing assistants certified pursuant to part II of chapter 464 may take residents' vital signs as directed by a licensed nurse or physician.

(b)  All staff in facilities licensed under this part shall exercise their professional responsibility to observe residents, to document observations on the appropriate resident's record, and to report the observations to the resident's physician. However, the owner or administrator of the facility shall be responsible for determining that the resident receiving services is appropriate for residence in the facility.

(c)  In an emergency situation, licensed personnel may carry out their professional duties pursuant to part I of chapter 464 until emergency medical personnel assume responsibility for care.

(2)  In facilities licensed to provide extended congregate care, persons under contract to the facility, facility staff, or volunteers, who are licensed according to part I of chapter 464, or those persons exempt under s. 464.022(1), or those persons certified as nursing assistants pursuant to part II of chapter 464, may also perform all duties within the scope of their license or certification, as approved by the facility administrator and pursuant to this part.

(3)  Facility staff may withhold or withdraw cardiopulmonary resuscitation if presented with an order not to resuscitate executed pursuant to s. 401.45 The department shall adopt rules providing for the implementation of such orders. Facility staff and facilities shall not be subject to criminal prosecution or civil liability, nor be considered to have engaged in negligent or unprofessional conduct, for withholding or withdrawing cardiopulmonary resuscitation pursuant to such an order and rules adopted by the department. The absence of an order to resuscitate executed pursuant to s. 401.45 does not preclude a physician from withholding or withdrawing cardiopulmonary resuscitation as otherwise permitted by law.

History.--ss. 16, 38, ch. 91-263; ss. 20, 38, 39, ch. 93-216; s. 4, ch. 99-331; s. 3, ch. 2000-295; s. 100, ch. 2000-318; ss. 2, 47, ch. 2006-197.

Note.--Former s. 400.4255.