You should already be aware of the Scope of Practice changes that went into effect on January 1 that no longer allow non-credentialed individuals to be privileged for patient care, but just in case you still have questions about what this means for your practice, here is a quick recap. Keep in mind that surveyors are now verifying that you are in compliance with these new rules.

Facilities that are only privileging staff members with an O&P credential do not need to make any changes to their current protocol.

• You can no longer privilege non-certified individuals.
• Mastectomy ONLY facilities can privilege individuals the same way as in the past.
• There is a new role called ‘Support Personnel’ for non-certified individuals. Check out the definition of this new role in the Scope of Practice. (link to specific page)

More questions? Check out the Privileging FAQs on the website.