Nursing Services Requirements for the State of South Carolina
61-17. Standards for Licensing Nursing
Homes.
A. The 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 44-7-262. (A) As a condition
of licensure, in addition to the number of licensed nursing
personnel required by R61-17, or any other regulation, a
nursing home must provide at a minimum these resident-staff
ratios for staff who provide nursing care:
(1) 9 to 1 for shift 1;
(2) 13 to 1 for shift 2;
(3) 22 to 1 for shift 3.
In those facilities utilizing two
twelve-hour shifts, the staffing ratios for shift one apply
to the twelve-hour shift occurring primarily during the day,
and the staffing ratios for shift three apply to the
twelve-hour shift occurring primarily during the night.
(B) For purposes of this section:
(1) 'Shift 1' means a work shift that
occurs primarily during the daytime hours including, but not
limited to, a 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. shift;
(2) 'Shift 2' means a work shift that
generally includes both daytime and evening hours including,
but not limited to, a 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. shift;
(3) 'Shift 3' means a work shift that
occurs primarily during the nighttime hours including, but
not limited to, an 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. shift."
B. This section takes effect January 1,
1999.
(2) Nurse Licensing
Registered or practical nurses employed by
a facility must be currently and continuously licensed to
practice nursing in South Carolina during the period of their
employment. A copy of this license must be maintained in the
facility. Only persons so licensed may perform duties requiring
a registered or practical nurse. (II)
(3) Staffing Requirements
(a) Director of Nursing: The facility shall
designate a registered nurse as a full-time Director of Nursing.
The Director of Nursing shall have the necessary authority and
shall be responsible for direction of the nursing service
rendered in the facility. Another registered nurse, who is
employed by the licensee, shall be designated in writing to act
in his/her absence. In facilities with a licensed bed capacity
of twenty-two or fewer residents the Nursing Director may be
included in the requirements of Section
(b) below. (II)
(b) Licensed Nursing Staff: (II)
(1) The required minimum number of licensed
nurses for any nursing station which serves at least one
resident is one per station per shift. If
a nursing station serves more
than forty-four residents, then that station is required to have
two licensed nurses on all shifts.
(2) A registered nurse shall be available
in the facility, or on-call, at all times.
(c) No n-licensed Nursing Staff: The
required number of aides, orderlies and other non-licensed
nursing personnel shall be determined by the number of residents
assigned to beds at each nursing station. Non-licensed nursing
staff shall be provided to meet at least the following schedule:
[Following ratios no longer apply. See SC
Section 46 at beginning of this publication for the new required
ratios]
Shift Ratio of aides, etc., to Residents
1 1:11
2 1:15
3 1:22
(d) When resident care needs or other
pertinent factors require, modification of the minimum staffing
standards may be required for specific facilities.
(e) In those facilities utilizing two
12-hour shifts, the requirements for the day and night shifts,
as specified in (c), above, apply. |
