NURSING SCOPE OF PRACTICE COUNCIL BYLAWS

Article I

Name

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

Article II

FUNCTIONS

1. Develop, standardize and maintain administrative and clinical policies relevant to scope of practice in all areas where professional nursing is practiced.
   
2. Standardize and maintain professional job descriptions and performance appraisals tools.
   
3. Establish criteria for credentialing nurses practicing in an expanded role that is in compliance with the Arkansas State Board of Nursing.

4. Standardize and maintain job descriptions and performance appraisal tools for positions that perform delegated nursing functions.
   
5. Edit and monitor administrative and clinical policies that have been developed by various councils to assure standardization of patient care practice.
   
6. Review all new policies developed by various councils to assure regulatory compliance and congruence with existing policies prior to forwarding to Executive Council.
   
7. Monitor all policies for referral to Executive Council to maintain currency.
   
8. Monitor regulatory changes and assure that Executive Council is notified when professional documents need to be amended, including changes necessary for congruence among all areas that deliver nursing care.
9. Review submitted national certification criteria for approval for RN certification bonus.
10. Monitor staffing effectiveness data on quarterly basis and provide recommendation.

Article III

Composition, Membership, and Duties

Section 1 COMPOSITION:

• Associate Director for Patient Care Services (Co-Chair)
• 1 Clinical Nurse Specialist
• 1 Staff Nurse (Co-Chair)
• 1 Director
• 3 Clinical Services Managers
• 9 - Staff members

(Managers and staff members shall be selected from the following areas: OR, ACRC, OPC, Med/Surg, Critical Care, Women’s Services, BMT, ED)

• 1 - Advisory Member - Nursing PI  (non-voting)
• 1 - Clerical (non-voting)

Section 2 MEMBERSHIP SELECTION:

1. Nurse Managers will be designated by their Directors.
2. Staff members will be designated by the appropriate manager.
3. Administrative Co-chairs will be selected by the Executive Council.
4. Staff Nurse Co-chairs will be selected by this council.
5. Clerical staff will be designated by the Associate Director for Patient Care Services
6. Advisory member will be designated by the Associate Director for Patient Care Services

Section 3 LENGTH OF MEMBERSHIP:

1. The Advisory member and clerical staff will maintain permanent appointments at the discretion of the Associate Director for Patient Care Services.
2. Membership of all other members shall be for two years. Terms will be staggered to provide for council continuity. (During the first year of functioning, one half of the membership will serve one year terms).

Section 4 ACCOUNTABILITY:
The Scope of Practice Council reports directly to the Executive Council.

Section 5 Duties of Council Members:

1. 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.
2. Report council actions and decisions to constituencies.
3. 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 and Leadership Council..
• Oversee that plans and/or actions decided upon by the Scope of Practice Council and/or the Executive Council are implemented.
• Relay pertinent information from the CNO and/or Executive Council to the Scope of Practice Council.
• Coordinate with Co-Chairs to facilitate monthly meetings and called meetings.
• Ensure agenda is completed and present at meetings.
• Compile council reports/recommendations.
• Coordinate the filling of membership vacancies.

5. Responsibilities of the clerical staff are:

• Notify Co-Chairs when a council member accrues two unrepresented absences.
• 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.
• Coordinate orientation of new members.

Section 6 VACANCIES:

Vacancies in the membership will be filled in the same manner as described in "Membership Selection." The Staff Support will be responsible for coordinating the filling of vacancies.

Article IV

Meetings

Section 1 MEETINGS:

1. Meetings of the Scope of Practice Council will be held monthly and are open to all professional nursing staff.
2. Meetings may be called by the Council Co-Chair at any time there is business to be conducted which requires immediate action.

Section 2 QUORUM:

1. A quorum at any meeting shall consist of two-thirds of the members of the Scope 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 Coordinator 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:

a. Ad-hoc committees may be appointed from among the membership of the PNO as necessary in the conduct of Scope of Practice Council business. Such committees will function until purpose has been achieved, at which time following their final report, they shall be dissolved.

b. 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 Policy Committee.

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 Scope of Practice Council.

ARTICLE VI

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

ARTICLE VII

BYLAWS AMENDMENT

Section 1 BIENNIAL REVIEW:

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

Section 2 BYLAW AMENDMENTS:

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

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

ARTICLE VIII

SPECIAL RULES

The Scope 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 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 Scope 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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