Is the school RN allowed to delegate performance of a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-waived COVID-19 test in public and private schools, Kindergarten-Twelve (K-12) grades, to non-credentialed staff?

Yes. The school RN is allowed to delegate POC COVID-19 CLIA-waived in public and private schools, K-12 grades to non-credentialed staff. Based on nursing assessment, the RN may delegate a COVID-19 test without an order or standing order from an authorized health care practitioner, if the test is done for screening purposes and not diagnostic purposes. For screening tests, the RN documents whether a test result is positive or negative but may not diagnose the patient with COVID-19 or any other condition. See the Registered Nurse Delegation in School Settings Advisory Opinion for more information.

Schools may have policies that require an order for these tests and other requirements (e.g., competency assessment completion and quality control testing). The school or school district must have a CLIA-waived certification:

Medical Test Sites (MTS) | Washington State Department of Health

Waived Tests | CDC

RN Authority with COVID-19 CLIA-Waived Tests in School Settings | WABON

Testing in Schools Frequently Asked Questions | Washington State Department of Health

Point of Care Testing Guidelines (wa.gov)

COVID-19 - Quality Control Testing for COVID-19 Tests | Laboratory | Quality System Assessment for Nonwaived Testing Quality System Assessment (QSA) | The Joint Commission

COVID-19 Testing: Health Care Provider Resources & Recommendations | Washington State Department of Health

Reporting COVID-19 Test Results for Point-of-Care Testing Facilities | Washington State Department of Health