Tex.
Occ. Code Section 301.354
Nurse First Assistants; Assisting at Surgery by Other Nurses
(a)
In this section, “nurse first assistant” means a registered nurse who:(1)
has completed a nurse first assistant educational program approved or recognized by an organization recognized by the board; and(2)
is either:(A)
certified in perioperative nursing by an organization recognized by the board; or(B)
recognized by the board as an advanced practice nurse and qualified by education, training, or experience to perform the tasks involved in perioperative nursing.(b)
Unless the person is a nurse first assistant, the person may not use:(1)
the title “nurse first assistant” or “registered nurse first assistant”;(2)
the abbreviation “R.N.F.A.”; or(3)
any other title or abbreviation that implies to the public that the person is qualified as a nurse first assistant under this section.(c)
A health maintenance organization or an insurer, including an insurer offering a preferred provider benefit plan, may not, by contract or any other method, require a physician to use the services of a nurse first assistant.(d)
A nurse who is not a nurse first assistant may assist a physician, podiatrist, or dentist in the performance of surgery if the nurse:(1)
assists under the direct personal supervision and in the physical presence of the physician, podiatrist, or dentist;(2)
is in the same sterile field as the physician, podiatrist, or dentist;(3)
is employed by:(A)
the physician, podiatrist, or dentist;(B)
a group to which the physician, podiatrist, or dentist belongs; or(C)
a hospital licensed or owned by the state; and(4)
is qualified by education, training, or experience to perform the tasks assigned to the nurse.(e)
A patient or third-party insurer may not be billed separately for the services performed by a nurse described by Subsection (d).
Source:
Section 301.354 — Nurse First Assistants; Assisting at Surgery by Other Nurses, https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/OC/htm/OC.301.htm#301.354 (accessed Jun. 5, 2024).
