I knew it wasn't right while I was doing it...

[SheriLynnRN]

Last night, towards the end of the shift, most of the staff was either in the report room taping or busy in their pts rooms. We didn't have a secretary, and the charge nurse was away from the desk. One of the LPN's was charting at the nurse's station. When I came around the corner, she was just hanging up the phone. She said, "That was Dr. Soandso. He wants the foley in 716 to come out at 5 am. I repeated it back to him. Will you write it for me?" I know that it wasn't the right thing to do, but I wrote it anyway, signing my own name after the doc's.

I guess we should have called him back and explained that the nurse who took the telephone order was an LPN, and isn't allowed to do so, but we didn't.

I know I was in the wrong, but I am frustrated at her too. She should have told the doc that she couldn't take the order and put him on hold for a minute to find an RN. I've seen her do this once before.

Does this happen where you work too? Just wondering.

[diane227, LPN, RN]

Paramedic LPN: When I worked in Texas I had a lot of paramedics working in my ED. They were able to do many tasks that they did in the field but they could not give any medications, start IV's or intubate patients. However, sometimes we had to do what we had to do. For example, once the ED physician was on the floor at a code and a patient came in the hospital by family in resp arrest. The paramedic on duty did the intubation and saved the patient. As the manager I got a little chat with the boss. Said we would never do it again but I can promise you that we would have done it again if we had no other option. Saving the patient was my first priority.

[babedollRN]

In hospitals LPN can not take orders from the doctors. I did read an article where LPN can take orders from the doctor ony if it within their scope of practice, but since our LPN did not get an inservice on this they are not allowed to write any orders. In nursing homes and assist living, LPN can take orders.