ORS 441.760 Definitions

As used in ORS 441.761 to 441.795:

“Charge nurse” means a direct care registered nurse who coordinates patient care responsibilities among nurses in a hospital unit.

“Clinical care staff” means individuals who are licensed or certified by the state and who provide direct care.

“Direct care” means any care provided by a licensed or certified member of the hospital staff that is within the scope of the license or certification of the member.

“Direct care staff” means any of the following who are routinely assigned to patient care and are replaced when they are absent:

Registered nurses, including registered nurses that do not assume primary responsibility for a patient’s care but have responsibility for consulting on patient care;

Licensed practical nurses; or

Certified nursing assistants.

“Exclusive representative” means a labor organization that is:

Certified as an exclusive representative by the National Labor Relations Board; or

Certified as an exclusive representative by the Employment Relations Board under ORS 243.650 to 243.809.

“Hospital” includes a hospital as described in ORS 442.015 and an acute inpatient care facility as defined in ORS 442.470.

“Intensive care unit” means a unit of a hospital that provides care to critically ill patients who require advanced treatments such as mechanical ventilation, vasoactive infusions or continuous renal replacement treatment or who require frequent assessment and monitoring.

“Intermediate care unit” means a unit of a hospital that provides progressive care, intensive specialty care or step-down care.

“Licensed independent practitioner” has the meaning given that term in ORS 426.005.

“Medical-surgical unit” means an inpatient unit in which general medical or post-surgical level of care is provided, excluding critical care units and any units referred to in ORS 441.765, 441.766 and 441.767.

“Professional staff” means professional workers as defined in a collective bargaining agreement or, if no collective bargaining agreement exists, by the chief executive officer of the hospital or the chief executive officer’s designee, consistent with National Labor Relations Board regulations.

“Progressive care” means care provided to hospital patients who need more monitoring and assessment than patients on the medical-surgical units but whose conditions are not so unstable that they require care in an intensive care unit.

“Service staff” means service workers as defined by a collective bargaining agreement or, if no collective bargaining agreement exists, by the chief executive officer of the hospital or the chief executive officer’s designee, consistent with National Labor Relations Board regulations.

“Step-down care” means care for patients transitioning out of the intensive care unit who require more care and attention than patients in a hospital’s medical-surgical units.

“Technical staff” means technical workers as defined in a collective bargaining agreement or, if no collective bargaining agreement exists, by the chief executive officer of the hospital or the chief executive officer’s designee, consistent with National Labor Relations Board regulations.