Legal question.......

Hi everyone!! I'm posting this on Legal Nursing and General Nursing, just to get a bigger audience. I have a quick question. When we take a telephone order or verbal order we usually write out the order, then end it with TORB/VORB Dr. So-and-so/J. Doe, RN...............right? Recently I found an order where a nurse basically squeezed in her order to transfer a patient to us with the order the doctor himself wrote and signed, and never signed her own name to it. I'm not looking to report this girl, I just want to know if there's an actual law saying you can't do this? I tried looking under the board of nursing website of the state I work in (NH) and couldn't find anything, but I think I just don't know how to look. If it turns out this IS against the law, I just want to make sure the unit director makes a general announcement to everyone that this can't be done. I know I've seen it before, I just figure something had better be done before we find ourselves in trouble. Thanks for any help!!

You should report the occurrance including patient name, date, and what she wrote to your supervisor expressing your concern as to how this puts the hospital/facility at risk for legal ramifications especially if found by state auditors or attorneys.

I can already hear attorney arguments in my head just thinking about what was done.

This is illegal and excedes the scope of her nurse practice act. In addition, you should let the nurse know this concerns you because it is something reportable to the state board of nursing.

Keep in mind, now that you have knowledge of her practice, you are as accountable under your nurse practice act.

If for example, the doctor told her to "just squeeze it in" that is another story. She still should not have done it because it is not acceptable nursing practice.

Sincerely,
Joy