Article I

Name

The name of this council shall be the Standards of Practice Council.

Article II

Functions

1. Approve and maintain nursing practice standards (Procedures, Guidelines, Protocols).
2. Identify educational and professional development issues as they arise and forward recommendations to Staff Education or other appropriate individuals/departments.
3. Approve and maintain patient education documents accompanying procedures and protocols.
4. Approve and maintain nursing documentation forms, both paper and electronic.

Article III

Composition, Membership, and Duties

Section 1 COMPOSITION:

Voting Members (all RN’s):

• 1 Director Co-Chair
• Associate Director for Patient care Services
• One representative from each of these areas. Representative may be staff level or manager based on availability and desire of the Clinical Director of the area.

Bone Marrow Transplant
Women’s Services
Critical Care
Medical-Surgical
Emergency Department
Surgical Services
Radiology
Endoscopy
Hemodialysis
Blood Bank/Apheresis
Outpatient Center
ACRC
Jones Eye Center

• 1 Master’s prepared nurse practicing in expanded or non traditional care role (i.e., Case Manager, Advanced Practice Nurse, Educator)
• Support Staff (2 or 3)

Non-Voting Members:

• 3 Advisory Members - one RN from each area: College of Nursing, Nursing Quality Improvement, Infection Control
• 1 Clerical Staff (Administrative Secretary)
• Interdisciplinary Members: Rehabilitation Services, Clinical Pharmacist, Social Services, Respiratory Therapy and Clinical Dietician

Section 2 MEMBERSHIP SELECTION:

1. The Division Director and Managers from each of the represented clinical areas will appoint one (1) RN representative. An official alternate will also be designated.
2. Support Staff will be designated by the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO).
3. Masters prepared nurses practicing in an expanded or non traditional role will be appointed by the CNO.
4. Director Co-chairs (one (1) with inpatient responsibility and one (1) with outpatient responsibility) will be selected by Executive Council.
5. Clerical staff will be designated by the Executive Council.
6. Advisory members will be appointed by their Director/Administrator.

Section 3 LENGTH OF MEMBERSHIP:

1. Clerical staff and advisory members may at the discretion of the Director/Department Head/Administrator maintain permanent appointments for the duration of his/her employment within that position.
2. Membership of all other shall be for two years. Terms will be staggered to provide for council continuity.

Section 4 ACCOUNTABILITY:

The Standards of Practice Council reports directly to the Executive Council.

Section 5 Duties of Council Members:

a. Assure attendance or representation at all committee meetings. It is the duty of the council member to obtain a constituency representative when unable to attend a meeting. All agendas and attachments for meeting business should be forwarded to the alternate before the council meeting.

b. Report council actions and decisions to constituencies.

c. Responsibilities of the Council Co-Chairs are:

• Plan monthly meetings and called meetings as necessary to carry out business.
• Prepare an agenda for each meeting.
• Conduct Council meetings.
• Report council decisions and recommendations to the Executive Council.
• Oversee that plans and/or actions decided upon by the Standards of Practice Council and/or the Executive Council are implemented.
• Relay pertinent information from the CNO and/or Executive Council to the Standards of Practice Council.

d. Responsibilities of the Staff Support are:

• Coordinate with Co-Chairs to facilitate monthly meetings and called meetings.
• Ensure agenda is completed and present at meetings.
• Compile council reports/recommendations.
• Notify Co-Chairs when a council member accrues two un-represented absences.
• Coordinate the filling of membership vacancies.
• Coordinate orientation of new members.

e. Responsibilities of the clerical staff are:

• Assist the Council Coordinator in notification of members regarding meetings.
• Record minutes at every council meeting.
• Ensure that minutes are typed and distributed to members.
• Assist the Staff Support in compiling council reports.
• Maintain attendance records for all council meetings.
• Document the presence of a quorum at all council meetings.
• Ensure that standards are typed and distributed to appropriate areas.

Section 6 VACANCIES:

Vacancies in the membership will be filled in the same manner as described in "Membership Selection." The Co-chairs in collaboration with support staff will be responsible for coordinating the filling of vacancies.

Article IV

Meetings

Section 1 MEETINGS:

1. Meetings of the Standards of Practice Council will be held monthly and are open to all constituents of the Professional Nurse Organization.
2. Meetings may be called by the Council Co-chairs at any time there is business to conduct which requires immediate action.

Section 2 QUORUM:

1. A quorum at any meeting shall consist of two-thirds of the members of the Standards of Practice Council.
2. If a quorum is not present at the announced council meeting time, those members present will wait ten (10) minutes for a quorum to gather. If at the end of the ten minutes a quorum is still not present, the Council Co-chairs will call the meeting to order and proceed as directed in Robert’s Rules, Chapter XI, "Quorum; Order of Business and Related Concepts."

Article V

Committees

Section 1 AD-HOC COMMITTEES:

1. Ad-hoc committees may be appointed from among the membership of the Professional Staff Organization as necessary in the conduct of Standards of Practice Council business. Such committees will function until their purpose has been achieved, at which time following their final report, they shall be dissolved.
2. The following shall be specified for each committee at the time of appointment:

• Purpose
• Charge
• Objectives
• Term
• Number of members
• Chairman

c.  Ad-hoc committees shall have the authority to call and conduct such meetings as are necessary to obtain information and to formulate committee recommendations to the Standards of Practice Council.

d.  A quorum shall consist of a majority (over 50%) of the committee members.

e.  At the completion of this charge, the ad-hoc committee will submit a written report of their actions and recommendation to the Standards of Practice Council.

ARTICLE VI

Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern meetings of this council in all parliamentary situations which are not provided for in the rules of this council.

ARTICLE VII

BYLAWS AMENDMENT

Section 1 BIENNIAL REVIEW:

The PNO Constitution and the Standards of Practice Council bylaws shall be reviewed biennially (in the even-numbered years) in June by the Standards of Practice Council.

Section 2 BYLAW AMENDMENTS:

a. Bylaws of the Standards of Practice Council may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the Standards of Practice Council.

b. No vote shall be taken on a proposed amendment until it has been considered at two consecutive meetings of the Standards of Practice Council.

ARTICLE VIII

SPECIAL RULES

The Standards of Practice Council shall be governed by Robert’s Standing Rules of Order and shall adopt any special rules as may be necessary to implement more specifically the general principles of these bylaws. These rules shall relate to the proper conduct of the Standards of Practice Council activities.

The rules shall be an appendage to these bylaws, except that they may be amended or repealed at any regular or special meeting of the Standards of Practice Council when a quorum is present, by a two-thirds vote of those members present and eligible to vote.

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