Chapter 1 – Health Care Governance and Administration

1.4.6.6 Professional Nursing Standards

• Policy

  • California Correctional Health Care Services (CCHCS) nursing standards shall be guided by the Nursing Practice Act, American Nurses’ Association Standards, and/or other regulations.  Standards shall be directed and informed via policies, procedures, protocols, and guidelines.  Standards that contain elements of medical management shall be developed in collaboration with the headquarters’ (HQ) medical executive team and other HQ clinical executives as indicated.  These standards shall be reviewed, at a minimum, every three years for conformance with current evidenced based practice and updated as indicated.

  • Correctional Registered Nurse (RN) Standards of Practice

    • CCHCS RNs shall comply with the following standards of practice:

    • Assessment: The RN shall collect comprehensive data pertinent to the patient’s health and/or the situation.

    • Diagnosis: The RN shall analyze the assessment data to determine the diagnoses, health concerns, or organizational issues.

    • Outcome Identification: The RN shall identify expected outcomes for a plan individualized to the patient or the situation.

    • Planning: The RN shall develop a plan, in accordance with the clinical pathway, that prescribes strategies and alternatives to attain expected outcomes.

    • Implementation: The RN shall implement the identified plan by:

      • Coordinating care delivery.

      • Employing strategies to promote a healthy and safe environment.

    • Evaluation: The RN shall evaluate progress toward attainment of outcomes.

  • Correctional Nursing Standards of Professional Performance

    • CCHCS nursing staff shall:

    • Practice nursing ethically.

    • Attain knowledge and competence that reflect current nursing practice.

    • Integrate evidence and research findings into practice.

    • Contribute to quality nursing practice.

    • Communicate effectively in a variety of formats and in all areas of practice.

    • Demonstrate leadership in the professional practice setting.

    • Collaborate with the patient, correctional facility administration, and other health care professionals in his/her conduct of nursing practice.

    • Evaluate his/her own nursing practice in relation to professional practice standards and guidelines, relevant statutes, and rules and regulations.

    • Utilize appropriate resources to plan and provide nursing services that are safe, effective, and financially responsible.

    • Practice in an environmentally safe and healthy manner.

  • Development/Revision

    • CCHCS nursing standards shall be changed as needed to reflect the dynamics of the nursing profession as new patterns of professional practice are developed and accepted by the nursing profession and the public.

    • Additional standards may be identified in response to a variety of sources including, but not limited to, the following:

      • Nursing staff.

      • Other disciplines.

      • New patient populations.

      • New technologies.

      • Quality improvement initiatives.

      • Research.

      • New regulations.

• Purpose

  • To direct and guide nursing care provided to patients across the continuum of care within CCHCS as well as to establish and ensure conformance with professional nursing standards.

• Responsibility

  • The HQ Chief Nursing Executive and nursing executive team are responsible for the development of nursing standards of care and practice as informed by the Complete Care Model.

• References

  • California Business and Professions Code, Division 2, Chapter 6, Article 2, Section 2725, Scope of Regulation

  • Health Care Department Operations Manual, Chapter 3, Article 1, Section 3.1.1, Complete Care Model

  • Nursing Review and Resource Manual, Rundio & Wilson, American Nurses’ Association, 2010

• Revision History

  • Effective: 11/2017
    Reviewed: 05/24/2023