Re: Conscious Sedation by "qualified" persons... Originally Posted by mommyof2grls JCAHO says "qualified Persons", state board has no stand on it as long as the RN is working withing her/his scope of practice. Risk management, I have no idea. I think if they had a family member on the talbe they would request an RN. I know I would.
Only PROFESSIONAL nurses in the State of Arkansas can give medications. (Docs can, but only NURSES can do this as an act prescribed by a doc.)
Your NPA specifically states, up front, in its definitions:
(6) “Practice of professional nursing” means the performance for compensation of any acts involving:
(A) The observation, care, and counsel of the ill, injured, or infirm;
(B) The maintenance of health or prevention of illness of others;
(C) The supervision and teaching of other personnel;
(D) The delegation of certain nursing practices to other personnel as set forth in regulations established by the board;
or
(E)
The administration of medications and treatments as prescribed by practitioners authorized to prescribe and treat in
accordance with state law where such acts require substantial specialized judgment and skill based on knowledge and
application of the principles of biological, physical, and social sciences;
Sounds to me like your NPA specifically forbids this practice. And in case that isn't clear, your board has clarified this in their rules:
Rules. Chapter 5:
E. NURSING TASKS THAT SHALL NOT BE DELEGATED
By way of example, and not in limitation, the following are nursing tasks that are not within the scope of
sound nursing judgment to delegate:
1. Physical, psychological, and social assessment which requires nursing judgment, intervention,
referral, or follow-up;
2. Formulation of the plan of nursing care and evaluation of the client's response to the care rendered;
3. Specific tasks involved in the implementation of the plan of care which require nursing judgment or
4. The responsibility and accountability for client health teaching and health counseling which
promotes client education and involves the client's significant others in accomplishing health goals; and
5. Administration of any medications or intravenous therapy, including blood or blood products.
6. Receiving or transmitting verbal or telephone orders;
7. Registered nurse practitioners and advanced practice nurses shall not delegate to unlicensed
ancillary staff the calling in of prescriptions to the pharmacy.
CLEARLY, in the state of Arkansas, giving prescribed medications is the act of a PROFESSIONAL NURSE that CANNOT be delegated. It is in fact, a violation of law. I'd point this out to your risk manager. The lawsuit potential for both the nurse that allows this under his/her license, AND the hospital, is astronomical.
If I were a lawyer, and anything adverse happened, I could EASILY prove both an established duty and a failure to meet that duty if anyone but a nurse and/or doc is pushing the IV med that was the proximal cause of the event.
~faith,
Timothy.
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