The Licensed Vocational Nurse OnCall Pilot Program Ends September 1, 2015. After September 1, 2015, only registered nurses (RNs) may provide On-Call telephone services to individuals receiving services in the Home and Community-based Services (HCS) or Texas Home Living (TxHmL) programs or in an Intermediate Care Facility for Individuals with an Intellectual Disability or Related Conditions (ICF/IID) with a capacity of 13 or fewer beds. Background Senate Bill (S.B.) 1857 (82nd Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2011) required the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) and the Texas Board of Nursing (BON) to conduct a pilot program to evaluate LVNs providing on-call telephone services to individuals receiving services in the HCS or TxHmL programs or in an ICF/IID with a capacity of 13 or fewer beds. The BON defines “on-call telephone services” as “providing telephone services anytime of the day to handle non-urgent, urgent and emergent conditions an individual may experience; making a telephone assessment, providing instructions to an unlicensed person over the phone regarding that condition and reporting those instructions to a RN clinical supervisor.” BON rules at Texas Administrative Code (TAC), Title 22, Part 11, Chapter 217, §217.11(2) state that “the LVN practice is a directed scope of nursing practice under the supervision of an RN, advanced practice registered nurse, physician’s assistant, physician, podiatrist or dentist. Supervision is the process of directing, guiding and influencing the outcome of an individual’s performance of an activity.” The LVN On-Call Pilot In accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding between DADS and the BON dated July 6, 2011, the LVN On-Call Pilot program established by S.B. 1857 permits an exception to 22 TAC §217.11(2) for providers of HCS, TxHmL and ICFs/IID with a capacity of 13 or fewer beds; therefore, providers, LVNs and RNs who are participating in the LVN On-Call Pilot program according to the Operational and Communication Protocols may perform on-call telephone services for individuals in their care while the On-Call Pilot program is in effect.
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