There be and is hereby established a Division of Community Nursing Services in the City of Vineland Department of Health.
The governing authority shall appoint a Nursing Administrator, as recommended by the Director of Health, as the administrative head of the Division of Community Nursing Services, who shall be responsible for all operations, subordinate employees and agents of said Division.
The Nursing Administrator shall have at least one of the following qualifications:
A. 
A master's degree in nursing or a health-related field and two years' combined community health nursing and progressive management experience in community health nursing with supervisory or administrative experience in home health care or in a health-care setting; or
B. 
A bachelor of science degree in nursing or a health-related field and three years' combined community health nursing and progressive management experience in community health nursing with four years' supervisory or administrative experience in home health care or a health-care setting.
The Nursing Administrator shall be responsible for, but not limited to, the following:
A. 
Ensuring the development, implementation, and enforcement of all policies and procedures, including patient rights.
B. 
Planning for and administering the managerial, operational, fiscal and reporting components of the Division.
C. 
Participating in the quality assurance program for patient care.
D. 
Ensuring that all personnel are assigned duties based upon their education, training, competencies and job descriptions.
E. 
Ensuring the provision of staff orientation and staff education.
F. 
Establishing and maintaining liaison relationships, communication, and integration with Division staff and services and with patients and their families, in accordance with the philosophy and objectives of the Division.
G. 
Directing of patient care services provided to patients.
H. 
Establishing written policies as set forth in this article.
In the absence of the Nursing Administrator, the Alternate Nursing Administrator, designated by the Director of the Department of Health, shall serve as the Nursing Administrator.
The Division shall establish written policies and procedures governing patient care that shall be adopted by governing authority and shall include at least the following:
A. 
Criteria for admission and discharge of patients. Admission criteria shall be based solely upon the patient's needs and the ability of the Division to safely meet the medical, nursing and social needs of the patient. Discharge policies shall preclude punitive discharge.
B. 
Criteria for physician orders for home health services, including time frames and other requirements for written, verbal, and renewal orders. Physician orders for physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy shall include the modality, frequency and duration of treatment.
C. 
Protocols for initiation, implementation, review and revision of plans for care and services.
D. 
Protocols for reassessment of patients, in accordance with time frames documented in the service plan by each health-care practitioner.
E. 
Protocols for providing continuity of care by the same health-care practitioner whenever possible.
F. 
Provision of care in accordance with the plan of care.
G. 
Provision of emergency care.
H. 
Requirements for a discharge plan for each patient developed prior to the patient's discharge, and methods for including the patient or the patients family in planning and implementing the discharge plan.
I. 
A patient referral system for additional sources of care.
The governing authority shall appoint a twelve-member advisory group to review policies, evaluate programs and make recommendations to the leadership for change or further study. Membership shall include the Nursing Administrator, a nursing supervisor, a physician, three consumers, a representative of physical therapy services, occupational therapy services, speech-language therapy services, social work, and dietary counseling. The advisory group shall meet at least annually.