(A) Specific tasks may be delegated to a CMA by a physician, physician assistant if authorized to do so in his scope of practice guidelines, or advanced practice registered nurse if authorized to do so in his practice agreement. The scope of practice guidelines for a physician assistant and the practice agreement for an advanced practice registered nurse must address what tasks may be appropriately delegated to a CMA, provided, however, that the following tasks must not be delegated to a CMA by a physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse:

(1) administering controlled medications, intravenous medications, contrast agents, or chemotherapy agents;

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Terms Used In South Carolina Code 40-47-196

  • CMA: means a person who is a graduate of a post-secondary medical assisting education program accredited by the National Healthcare Association, or its successor; by the Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation of the American Medical Association, or its successor; by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools, or its successor; or by any accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education. See South Carolina Code 40-47-20
  • Person: means a natural person, male or female. See South Carolina Code 40-47-20
  • Physician: means a doctor of medicine or doctor of osteopathic medicine licensed by the South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners. See South Carolina Code 40-47-20
  • Practice agreement: means a written agreement developed by an NP, CNM, or CNS and a physician or medical staff who agrees to work with and to support the NP, CNM, or CNS. See South Carolina Code 40-47-20
  • Practitioner: means a person who has been issued an authorization to practice in this State. See South Carolina Code 40-47-20
  • Supervision: means the process of critically observing, directing, and evaluating another person's performance, unless otherwise provided by law. See South Carolina Code 40-47-20
  • Telemedicine: means the practice of medicine using electronic communications, information technology, or other means between a licensee in one location and a patient in another location with or without an intervening practitioner. See South Carolina Code 40-47-20
  • UAP: means persons not currently licensed by the Board of Nursing as nurses, or persons who are not certified medical assistants as defined in § 40-47-20(57), who perform routine nursing tasks that do not require a specialized knowledge base or the judgment or skill of a licensed nurse. See South Carolina Code 40-47-20

(2) injecting neurotoxin products, neuro modulatory agents, or tissue fillers;

(3) using lasers or instruments that results in tissue destruction;

(4) placing sutures;

(5) taking radiographs or using any ionizing radiation unless the CMA is also a certified limited practice radiographer;

(6) analyzing, interpreting, or diagnosing symptoms or tests;

(7) triaging patients; and

(8) performing a clinical decision-making task by means of telemedicine.

(B) A physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse may delegate specified tasks to a CMA pursuant to the following requirements:

(1) the task must be delegated directly to the CMA by the physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse, and not through another licensed practitioner;

(2) the task must be performed when the physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse delegating the task is in such close proximity as to be immediately available to the CMA if needed;

(3) the physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse delegating the task must determine that the task is within the training and competency of the CMA and will not pose a significant risk to the patient if improperly performed;

(4) the task must not involve the verbal transmission of an order or prescription to a licensed person if the licensed person requires the order or prescription to be in writing; and

(5) the CMA must wear an appropriate badge identifying the CMA’s status, which must be clearly visible to the patient at all times.

(C)(1) A physician or physician assistant, pursuant to the physician assistant’s scope of practice guidelines, may delegate nursing tasks to UAP under the supervision of the physician or physician assistant. Such nursing tasks include, but are not limited to, the following:

(a) meeting patients’ needs for personal hygiene;

(b) meeting patients’ needs relating to nutrition;

(c) meeting patients’ needs relating to ambulation;

(d) meeting patients’ needs relating to elimination;

(e) taking vital signs;

(f) maintaining asepsis; and

(g) observing, recording, or reporting any of the nursing tasks enumerated in this subsection.

(2) APRNs may delegate nursing tasks to UAP pursuant to § 40-33-42.