[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 38, Volume 2]
[Revised as of July 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 38CFR51.2]

[Page 820-821]
 
            TITLE 38--PENSIONS, BONUSES, AND VETERANS' RELIEF
 
          CHAPTER I--DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS (CONTINUED)
 
PART 51--PER DIEM FOR NURSING HOME CARE OF VETERANS IN STATE HOMES--Table 
of Contents
 
                           Subpart A--General
 
Sec. 51.2  Definitions.

    For purposes of this part:
    Clinical nurse specialist means a licensed professional nurse with a 
master's degree in nursing with a major in a clinical nursing specialty 
from an academic program accredited by the National League for Nursing 
and at least 2 years of successful clinical practice in the specialized 
area of nursing practice following this academic preparation.
    Facility means a building or any part of a building for which a 
State has submitted an application for recognition as a State home for 
the provision of nursing home care or a building or any part of a 
building which VA has recognized as a State home for the provision of 
nursing home care.
    Nurse practitioner means a licensed professional nurse who is 
currently licensed to practice in the State; who meets the State's 
requirements governing the qualifications of nurse practitioners; and 
who is currently certified as an adult, family, or gerontological nurse 
practitioner by the American Nurses' Association.
    Nursing home care means the accommodation of convalescents or other 
persons who are not acutely ill and not in need of hospital care, but 
who require skilled nursing care and related medical services.
    Physician means a doctor of medicine or osteopathy legally 
authorized to practice medicine or surgery in the State.
    Physician assistant means a person who meets the applicable State 
requirements for physician assistant, is currently certified by the 
National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) as 
a physician assistant, and has an individualized written scope of 
practice that determines the authorization to write medical orders, 
prescribe medications and other clinical tasks under appropriate 
physician supervision which is approved by the primary care physician.
    Primary physician or primary care physician means a designated 
generalist physician responsible for providing, directing and 
coordinating all health care that is indicated for the residents.
    State means each of the several States, territories, and possessions 
of the United States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of 
Puerto Rico.
    State home means a home approved by VA which a State established 
primarily for veterans disabled by age, disease, or otherwise, who by 
reason of such disability are incapable of earning a living. A State 
home may provide domiciliary care, nursing home care, adult day health 
care, and hospital care. Hospital care may be provided only when

[[Page 821]]

the State home also provides domiciliary and/or nursing home care.
    VA means the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.