§ 61-3-3 — Definitions

As used in the Nursing Practice Act: A. "advanced practice" means the practice of professional registered nursing by a registered nurse who has been prepared through additional formal education as provided in Sections 61-3-23.2 through 61-3-23.4 NMSA 1978 to function beyond the scope of practice of professional registered nursing, including certified nurse practitioners, certified registered nurse anesthetists and certified clinical nurse specialists; B. "advanced practice registered nurse" means a certified nurse practitioner, certified registered nurse anesthetist or certified clinical nurse specialist licensed pursuant to the Nursing Practice Act; C. "anesthetics" means a substance that causes the entire or partial loss of the feeling of pain, temperature or other sensations, with or without the loss of consciousness, including topical, local or intravenous anesthetics but excluding general anesthesia; D. "artificial intelligence" means a broad category of existing, emerging and future digital technologies that involves using algorithms to drive the behavior of agents such as software programs, machines and robotics; E. "board" means the board of nursing; F. "certified hemodialysis technician" means a person who is certified by the board to assist in the direct care of a patient undergoing hemodialysis, under the supervision and at the direction of a registered nurse or a licensed practical nurse, according to the rules adopted by the board; G. "certified medication aide" means a person who is certified by the board to administer medications under the supervision and at the direction of a registered nurse or a licensed practical nurse, according to the rules adopted by the board; H. "certified nurse practitioner" means a registered nurse who is licensed by the board for advanced practice as a certified nurse practitioner and whose name and pertinent information are entered on the list of certified nurse practitioners maintained by the board; I. "certified registered nurse anesthetist" means a registered nurse who is licensed by the board for advanced practice as a certified registered nurse anesthetist and whose name and pertinent information are entered on the list of certified registered nurse anesthetists maintained by the board; J. "certified clinical nurse specialist" means a registered nurse who is licensed by the board for advanced practice as a certified clinical nurse specialist and whose name and pertinent information are entered on the list of certified clinical nurse specialists maintained by the board; K. "collaboration" means the cooperative working relationship with another health care provider in the provision of patient care, and such collaborative practice includes the discussion of patient diagnosis and cooperation in the management and delivery of health care; L. "general anesthesia" means a drug-induced loss of consciousness where: (1) patients are not arousable, even by painful stimulation; (2) the ability to maintain an adequate airway and respiratory function is affected; and (3) the cardiovascular function may be impaired; M. "licensed practical nurse" means a nurse who practices licensed practical nursing and whose name and pertinent information are entered in the register of licensed practical nurses maintained by the board or a nurse who practices licensed practical nursing pursuant to a multistate licensure privilege as provided in the Nurse Licensure Compact [61-3-24.1 NMSA 1978]; N. "licensed practical nursing" means the practice of a directed scope of nursing requiring basic knowledge of the biological, physical, social and behavioral sciences and nursing procedures, which practice is at the direction of a registered nurse, physician or dentist licensed to practice in this state. This practice includes but is not limited to: (1) contributing to the assessment of the health status of individuals, families and communities; (2) participating in the development and modification of the plan of care; (3) implementing appropriate aspects of the plan of care commensurate with education and verified competence; (4) collaborating with other health care professionals in the management of health care; and (5) participating in the evaluation of responses to interventions; O. "Nurse Licensure Compact" means the agreement entered into between New Mexico and other jurisdictions permitting the practice of professional registered nursing or licensed practical nursing pursuant to a multistate licensure privilege; P. "nursing diagnosis" means a clinical judgment about individual, family or community responses to actual or potential health problems or life processes, which judgment provides a basis for the selection of nursing interventions to achieve outcomes for which the person making the judgment is accountable; Q. "practice of nursing" means assisting individuals, families or communities in maintaining or attaining optimal health, assessing and implementing a plan of care to accomplish defined goals and evaluating responses to care and treatment. This practice is based on specialized knowledge, judgment and nursing skills acquired through educational preparation in nursing and in the biological, physical, social and behavioral sciences and includes but is not limited to: (1) initiating and maintaining comfort measures; (2) promoting and supporting optimal human functions and responses; (3) establishing an environment conducive to well-being or to the support of a dignified death; (4) collaborating on the health care regimen; (5) administering medications and performing treatments prescribed by a person authorized in this state or in any other state in the United States to prescribe them; (6) recording and reporting nursing observations, assessments, interventions and responses to health care; (7) providing counseling and health teaching; (8) delegating and supervising nursing interventions that may be performed safely by others and are not in conflict with the Nursing Practice Act; and (9) maintaining accountability for safe and effective nursing care; R. "professional registered nursing" means the practice of the full scope of nursing requiring substantial knowledge of the biological, physical, social and behavioral sciences and of nursing theory and may include advanced practice pursuant to the Nursing Practice Act. This practice includes but is not limited to: (1) assessing the health status of individuals, families and communities; (2) establishing a nursing diagnosis; (3) establishing goals to meet identified health care needs; (4) developing a plan of care; (5) determining nursing intervention to implement the plan of care; (6) implementing the plan of care commensurate with education and verified competence; (7) evaluating responses to interventions; (8) teaching based on the theory and practice of nursing; (9) managing and supervising the practice of nursing; (10) collaborating with other health care professionals in the management of health care; and (11) conducting nursing research; S. "registered nurse" means a nurse who practices professional registered nursing and whose name and pertinent information are entered in the register of licensed registered nurses maintained by the board or a nurse who practices professional registered nursing pursuant to a multistate licensure privilege as provided in the Nurse Licensure Compact; T. "scope of practice" means the parameters within which nurses practice based upon education, experience, licensure, certification and expertise; U. "sedation" means the administration of medication to produce various levels of calmness, relaxation or sleep, including: (1) minimum sedation, during which a patient responds normally to verbal commands and may have impaired cognitive function or coordination, and respiratory and cardiovascular functions remain stable; (2) moderate sedation, during which a patient responds purposefully to verbal commands, either alone or accompanied by light tactile stimulation; respiratory functions remain stable; and cardiovascular functions are usually maintained; (3) deep sedation, during which a patient cannot be easily aroused but responds purposefully, following repeated or painful stimulation; respiratory functions may be impaired, requiring assistance in maintaining the airway, including intubation and mechanical ventilation; and cardiovascular functions are usually maintained; or (4) palliative sedation, an end-of-life intervention used to provide a patient with relief of symptoms that cannot be controlled in a tolerable time frame despite the use of therapies and that are unlikely to be controlled by further therapies without excessive, intolerable, acute or chronic side effects or complications, but not to intentionally hasten death; and V. "training program" means an educational program approved by the board.

Legislative History

1978 Comp., § 61-3-3, enacted by Laws 1991, ch. 190, § 2; 1993, ch. 61, § 1;