What can unlicensed personnel do?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in Lie detection.

ok recent threads here have my thoughts reeling. so i thought i'd start this thread to ask nurses and others what uap is allowed to do at their respective facilities.

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[color=#483d8b]i have been shocked at reading that some are inserting foley's, giving meds, etc.

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[color=#483d8b]so cna's,ma's,hha's,pca's and whoever else i'm missing please chime in.

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[color=#483d8b]nurses, how do you feel about uap performing some of these functions? i'm comfortable with some things like blood glucose checks, simple dry dressing, oral suctioning. i am not comfortable with more intrusive things like foley insertions, complicated dressings(unless nurse is present also).

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[color=#483d8b]thoughts?

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CNAs and techs: nothing intrusive. Can't even d/c a foley.

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Specializes in none.

I am a NT (CNA) in a hospital. I can: do basic care, accuchecks, D/C foleys, D/C IV's, and if i get "taught" I can insert foleys. but basically that is the extent of my practice.

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I'm uncomfortable with unlicensed people calling themselves nurses. I'm sorry if that seems harsh.

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I'm uncomfortable with unlicensed people calling themselves nurses. I'm sorry if that seems harsh.

I agree with you, but this thread does not say anything about unlicensed people calling themselves nurses. Rather it deals with aides and techs and such performing "nursing" duties. There is another thread somewhere that does deal with that subject though and it has been rather heated at times.

In the hospital where I do clinica.

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Specializes in Trauma ICU.

In TN, student nurses are not even allowed to do Accuchecks...so it's weird to hear that CNA's do them in other states.

Even as Nurse Interns we still weren't supposed to do them.....It had something to do with the state defining Accuchecks as "diagnostic tests" that should only be performed by licensed personnel.

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Specializes in Lie detection.
CNAs and techs: nothing intrusive. Can't even d/c a foley.

Basically this was how it was for the CNA's at my old hospital. they could do cares, acccuchecks, vitals. In an emergency they were allowed to suction but never would.

Now in home care the aides do ADL's and house cleaning, meals. That's it. They can hand the pt. the med. bottle but not the pills. No complex dressings, they can place an ace wrap on but thats about it.

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Specializes in Lie detection.

............

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Specializes in er/icu/neuro/trauma/pacu.

Having just given an inservice on scope of practice i can tell you that an RN can delegate to uap's. Now the uap must have demonstrated competentcies for whatever task they are given. They may not do anything that involves evaluation or assessment-this does not mean thay can not describe a wound-that is gathering objective data. As for accuchecks-that falls under CLIA and CLia says if you can read and understand the directions you may perform a Clia waived test-again by demonstrating competentcies.

So...all this gets tossed out the window if your nurse practice act adresses specific issues, or if (and this is usually the case) your facility policies and procedures either spells out duties or lists things a uap may not do.

So realistically a uap may do a lot, remove foleys, insert foleys, draw blood, take out sutures, run ua's, accuchecks, clean the lounge and escort little old ladies.

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Thank you. I was responding (as you noticed) to someone who posts as a "nurse" but is not.

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I would like to get some input on this situation.. At a local clinic there are UAP's that are doing much more than what I feel comfortable knowing about. These are women that have no formal training or certifications (not even a CNA/PCT), but are doing the following.. Intramuscular antibiotic shots, performing EKG's, phlebotomy, running UA's, running CBC's, administering PO med's, x-rays, administering breathing treatments, removing sutures. When questioned about it, I am told that as long as the doctor who is the medical director of the facility signs his name on the chart, then they are allowed to perform the afore mentioned tasks. I feel a bit uneasy about what is going on, but I would like to get input from other health care proffessional's as to how they feel about the situation. Thanks

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

No Delegation language in PA's Nursing practice act so SNF/ hosptials unable dlegate nursing tasks

In group/personal care/ALF homes, aides pass meds as no regulations prohibiting practice.

GRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

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