Personal Injury Law

New Tennessee Legislation of Interest to Tort Lawyers - Post 13

By John A. Day

Post 13 in our series of new legislation of interest to tort lawyers concerns the administration of in nursing homes.

Public Chapter 403 eliminates the need for nurses to provide medication to patients.  Now, an aide who receives certain training  is permitted to administer the following medications:

(1) Oral medications;
(2) Topical medications;
(3) Medications administered as drops to the eye, ear, or nose;; and
(4) Any of the above medications prescribed with a designation authorizing or requiring administration on an as-needed basis, but only if a nursing assessment of the patient is completed by a licensed nurse before the medication is administered.

This legislation also prohibits an aide from applying topical medications ordered for the treatment of pressure ulcers or skin grafts.

If you prosecute or defend nursing home cases you need to read the entire Act.  To do so use the link for Public Acts, 2009, Public Chapter 403.

Full post as published by Day on Torts on August 21, 2009 (boomark / email).