How does assign. under protest work in LTC

[angelbear]

So I was reading another post on assignment under protest and was just wandering how that works in LTC. For example I work with certain pts on a regular basis but suddenly one or two go bad out to hosp but now back. New Gtube placement with an active infection, and other one with pnemonia with underlying gallbladder disease(not treated) a heplock for his IV ATB. So I come in and due to short staffing I am on with a brand new unoriented nurse who has never worked with these type of pts or on this shift(3rd). Being that I am an LPN and not IV certified and this other nurse knows nothing about any of the residents what should I have done? For the record it was the night from hell but I think I did a pretty good job and noone got any worse on my shift. I basically sent my 2 best aids to shadow her and her 30 residents and I handled my 30 residents including the 2 criticals It worked everyone was exhausted but we made it through. I just keep thinking of all the things that could have happened. So how should I have handled the situations. I welcome your thoughts.

[Talino]

Assignment under protest applies to all health care facilities.

These are excerpts from the New York State Education Dept: Nursing Issues.

Nurse-Patient Relationship

A nurse-patient relationship begins when the nurse accepts responsibility for providing nursing care based upon a written or oral report of patient needs. A nurse-patient relationship ends when that responsibility has been transferred to another nurse and a report of patient needs has been communicated.

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Objection to a Work Assignment

The decision to accept or reject an assignment must be based upon a critical judgement by the nurse of the nurse's ability to provide competent patient care. When a nurse is assigned to care for a patient or group of patients that is beyond the nurse's level of physical or professional competence, the nurse should immediately notify the first-line supervisor in writing of the objections to accepting the assignment. It should also be noted that future assignments in similar situations will be refused.

Your state laws may vary.