A Nursing Dilemma!!!

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I am an infusion nurse in a rheumatology clinic, one of my patients requests flu vaccine during infusion. Her Dr's nurse, an LVN said that the patient does not need an order because "they always recommend that their immunologic infusion patients get flu shots", she then drew the medication up in a syringe for me to administer. I felt totally uncomfortable and told her that in school of nursing I was taught to never admin medication drawn up by another nurse. To which she replied that the nurse manager permitted us to do it. I requested for an order from the Dr, she brought an unopened vial for me to use. My question is, will you administer medication drawn by another nurse and administer it without an order just to continue a good relationship with a coworker as opposed to protecting your license?

I woudn't have given it without an order nor would I have given it without drawing it myself. Period. You did the right thing.

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OUR Director in a hospital settings just told us we could give a flu shot without a doctors order, we have no policy in place to support this tx. what is legal

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OUR Director in a hospital settings just told us we could give a flu shot without a doctors order, we have no policy in place to support this tx. what is legal

I imagine when something goes wrong and all hell breaks loose that the Director will throw you under a bus.

Not a nurse yet, but was under the impression that no policy/no order = no flushot/whatever is law...

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
OUR Director in a hospital settings just told us we could give a flu shot without a doctors order, we have no policy in place to support this tx. what is legal
Obtain a physician's order before giving the flu shot.

Without an order, you are practicing medicine without a license.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

What is even more interesting about this is that in my state, LPNs cannot administer flu or pneumococcal (or in fact, ANY medications) without a patient specific order, meaning " Jane Doe to receive Influenza vaccine 0.5mL IM"...we cannot honor standard orders at all, because that goes to the RN. Maybe there were standard orders for these patients due to their chronic condition, but you should have been made aware of it, and should have seen the standard order to know how it relates to you. It may be different in your state, however, under no circumstances do I administer ANY medication drawn by someone else. If she felt so brave and dandy, she could have given it herself. You definitely did the right thing.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
OUR Director in a hospital settings just told us we could give a flu shot without a doctors order, we have no policy in place to support this tx. what is legal

There are times where patients can receive flu vaccines without an order, they would fall under standard orders, where an emergency protocol is in place; usually to administer epinepherine if they encounter anaphylaxis, but you need to know for sure.

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No, I wouldn't. I would ask to see the written policy that permitted the action she was recommending. Or she could give the vaccine herself and risk her own license. I wouldn't touch it.

Agreed.

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