Can a nurse do a medical screening exam in the ER during a pandemic?
In the definition of nursing, found in the Nursing Practice Act section 301.002, medical diagnosis is excluded from the practice of nursing. If the purpose of a medical screening is to determine a medical diagnosis, this would be beyond the parameters of nursing practice. A nurse is required to implement measures to prevent exposure to infectious or communicable conditions [rule 217.11 (1) (O)]. One way to accomplish this standard is to identify incoming patients who might be infectious and provide them with a separate waiting area so as not to expose others to communicable conditions. When a physician is delegating to a nurse, the nurse is expected to comply with the Standards of Nursing Practice just as if performing a nursing procedure. Position Statement 15.11, Delegated Medical Acts discusses physician delegation and the role of the nurse.
