Margaret Walsh; The Notice of Petition for Declaratory Statement published on August 20, 2013, in Vol. 39, No. 162, of the Florida Administrative Register. Petitioner sought the Board’s interpretation as to whether a CNS may diagnose human ...

 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

Board of Nursing

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Board of Nursing has issued an order disposing of the petition for declaratory statement filed by Margaret Walsh on July 15, 2013. The following is a summary of the agency’s disposition of the petition:

The Notice of Petition for Declaratory Statement published on August 20, 2013, in Vol. 39, No. 162, of the Florida Administrative Register. Petitioner sought the Board’s interpretation as to whether a CNS may diagnose human responses to actual or potential behavioral health problems, implement therapeutic interventions without entering into a supervisor relationship or a protocol with a physician and not be subject to discipline for acts performed within the scope of practice of her CNS certification. The Board of Nursing considered the Petition at its October 3, 2013 meeting. The Board’s Order filed on November 8, 2013, finds that under the specific facts of the petition, as set forth above, a clinical nurse specialist may assess patients with behavioral health problems, diagnose patients using the ICD-9 codes and DSM 5, and treat patients with psychotherapy without the supervision of a physician.

A copy of the Order Disposing of the Petition for Declaratory Statement may be obtained by contacting: Joe R. Baker, Jr., Executive Director, Board of Nursing, 4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin #C02, Tallahassee, Florida 32399, [e-mail] or by telephone at [phone].