Nursing Services Requirements for the State of Mississippi

SECTION A -- Nursing Facility

Nursing Facility. To be classified as a facility, the institution shall comply with the following staffing requirements:

a. Minimum requirements for nursing staff shall be based on the ratio of two and eight-tenths (2.80) hours of direct nursing care per resident per twenty-four (24) hours. Staffing requirements are based upon resident census. Based upon the physical layout of the nursing facility, the licensing agency may increase the nursing care per resident ratio.

b. Each facility shall have the following licensed personnel as a minimum:

1. Seven (7) day coverage on the day shift by a registered nurse.

2. A registered nurse designated as the Director of Nursing Services, who shall be employed on a full time (five [5] days per week) basis on the day shift and be responsible for all nursing services in the facility.

3. Facilities of one-hundred eighty (180) beds or more shall have an assistant director of nursing services, who shall be a registered nurse.

4. A registered nurse or licensed practical nurse, shall serve as a charge nurse and be responsible for supervision of the total nursing activities in the facility during the 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. shift. The nurse assigned to the unit for the 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. shift may serve as both the charge nurse and medication/treatment nurse. A medication/treatment nurse for each nurses' station shall be required on all shifts. This shall be a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse.

5. In facilities with sixty (60) beds or less, the director of nursing services may serve as charge nurse.

6. In facilities with more than sixty (60) beds, the charge nurse may not be the director of nursing services or the medication/treatment nurse.

c. Non-Licensed Staff. The non-licensed staff shall be added to the total licensed staff, to complete the required staffing requirements.

d. There shall be at least two (2) employees in the facility at all times in the event of an emergency.