For the purposes of this chapter, "health care provider" means a physician or a nurse practitioner.

Sec. 9. 22 MRSA §2901, sub-§4-A is enacted to read:

4-A.__Nurse practitioner.__"Nurse practitioner" means an advanced practice registered nurse who is a certified nurse practitioner authorized to practice without the supervision of a physician pursuant to Title 32, chapter 31.

Sec. 10. 22 MRSA §2907, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 1969, c. 193, is amended to read:

2. Time of death. The time of death shall must be determined by a physician or nurse practitioner who attends the donor at his the donor's death, or, if none, the physician or nurse practitioner who certifies the death. This physician shall or nurse practitioner may not participate in the procedures for removing or transplanting a part.

SUMMARY

This bill authorizes a certified nurse midwife or a nurse practitioner who is present at a death or after a death to sign a death certificate in the case of a fetal death. The bill authorizes a nurse practitioner to sign a death certificate in the case of the death of a patient in the care of the nurse practitioner or in the case of the death of a patient whose recent medical condition is known to the nurse practitioner.