dispatched, nurses' notes written, inpatient charts prepared, and medications prepared for distribution to patients. Where such activities are carried on in more than one location within a nursing unit, all such separate areas are considered a part of the nurses' station.

Nursing Home. A building or portion of a building used on a 24-hour basis for the housing and nursing care of four or more persons who, because of mental or physical incapacity, might be unable to provide for their own needs and safety without the assistance of another person. [99:3.3.129]

Patient Bed Location. The location of a patient sleeping bed, or the bed or procedure table of a critical care area. [99:3.3.137]

Patient Care Area. Any portion of a health care facility wherein patients are intended to be examined or treated. Areas of a health care facility in which patient care is administered are classified as general care areas or critical care areas. The governing body of the facility designates these areas in accordance with the type of patient care anticipated and with the following definitions of the area classification.

FPN: Business offices, corridors, lounges, day rooms, dining rooms, or similar areas typically are not classified as patient care areas.
General Care Areas. Patient bedrooms, examining rooms, treatment rooms, clinics, and similar areas in which it is intended that the patient will come in contact with ordinary appliances such as a nurse call system, electric beds, examining lamps, telephones, and entertainment devices. [99, 2005]

Critical Care Areas. Those special care units, intensive care units, coronary care units, angiography laboratories, cardiac catheterization laboratories, delivery rooms, operating rooms, and similar areas in which patients are intended to be subjected to invasive procedures and connected to line-operated, electromedical devices.

Wet Procedure Locations. Those spaces within patient care areas where a procedure is performed and that are normally subject to wet conditions while patients are present. These include standing fluids on the floor or drenching of the work area, either of which condition is intimate to the patient or staff. Routine housekeeping procedures and incidental spillage of liquids do not define a wet location.

Patient Care Vicinity. In an area in which patients are normally cared for, the patient care vicinity is the space with surfaces likely to be contacted by the patient or an attendant who can touch the patient Typically in a patient room, this encloses a space within the room not less than 1.8 m (6 ft) beyond the perimeter of the bed in its nominal location, and

extending vertically not less than 2.3 m (llA ft) above the floor. [99:3.3.140]

Patient Equipment Grounding Point. A jack or terminal that serves as the collection point for redundant grounding of electrical appliances serving a patient care vicinity or for grounding other items in order to eliminate electromagnetic interference problems. [99:3.3.141]

Psychiatric Hospital. A building used exclusively for the psychiatric care, on a 24-hour basis, of four or more inpatients.

Reference Grounding Point. The ground bus of the pan-elboard or isolated power system panel supplying the patient care area.

Relative Analgesia. A