admission question

[student-with-no-life]

first off Hi everybody, been reading but have not posted in awhile. heres my question. Im a LPN who works on a very busy med surg floor. Now we have an admission nurse until 03:00, then we are on our own, and like this week she is on vacation. I noticed the admission papers I use say right along the bottom of the page RN signature. Well Im a LPN how can I do an admission when it requires a RN signature? I was always told in a hospital setting an LPN can not do an admission or a discharge. right now Im confused I just need some sugestions and guidance on this. Thank you

[ohmeowzer RN, RN]

in my state a LPN cannot do an admission assesment. a LPN can do a discharge . in my part time job , ( my full time job , we only have RN's) , the LPN does everything on the admit but the admit assesment and i do that, and she does the rest. LPN's cannot do a inital assesment , but can call the MD and review the orders and take orders.

The LPN's do all the discharges.

every state has a different scope of practice for the LPN . you should check with your DON for the policy and procedures.

[makes needs known]

All facilities are different. Where I work (ltc/rehab) the LPN can do the admission but it has to be co-signed by RN. Initial physical assessments are supposed to be done by RN.

[student-with-no-life]

well I do the assessment and the HX. where I live LPN's cannot do the admission, but here I am doing them. I will talk to my DON -thank you

[Riseupandnurse]

I am wondering if there is a state that allows an lpn to do an admission assessment. The NCLEX-RN preparation materials all stress that only RNs can assess; LPNs "collect date"to give to the RN for interpretation.

[student-with-no-life]

that was my understanding as well. I don't have a problem doing them I have a problem that NO RN even looks at the paper work or the patient to sign off on anything. I do the admission and the assessment and where it says RN signature I leave it blank.

One RN said to me how am I suppose to take care of my 8 patients and cover you for your 8 patients and do your admit. I got kinda rude and said well how much more are you getting paid than me? And the ONLY thing different you do than me on THIS floor is push meds? And that is the truth, I do everything an RN can do, BUT push meds and then its like Im asking them to give up their lives to help me. I thought this hospital was SUPPOSE to be team nursing. LOL well you can tell Im a new grad.

Like I had a patient miss the toilet and he urinated on the floor. I was getting ready to page house keeping and I was told at that moment house keeping does not clean up urine. I had to do it - I laughed and said I don't think so - we have NO mop on our floor they wanted me to use towels. I paged house keeping, I believe thats their job description. I had to transfer a patient to isolation, get a blood transfusion ready and sit with that patient for 15 minutes, and I had a new admit on their way in 20 minutes.

I will be talking to my DON this week - whenever I can see her - I work 12's nights - and I think Ive seen my DON once in the past month.

[mpccrn, BSN, RN]

your hospital policy should clearly explain your limitation on an admission assessment. in our hospital, there is an LPN part and an RN part. they are clearly defined.

[Virgo_RN, BSN, RN]

Like I had a patient miss the toilet and he urinated on the floor. I was getting ready to page house keeping and I was told at that moment house keeping does not clean up urine. I had to do it - I laughed and said I don't think so - we have NO mop on our floor they wanted me to use towels. I paged house keeping, I believe thats their job description. I had to transfer a patient to isolation, get a blood transfusion ready and sit with that patient for 15 minutes, and I had a new admit on their way in 20 minutes.

Our housekeepers would flip if you called them to clean up urine! Yes, I would clean it up with towels, then spray some Virex on the area and wipe that up with a towel as well. The housekeepers will do their rounds and clean the bathroom in the morning.

Anyway, to answer your question. I was an LPN until recently, and I was fortunate that none of the RNs ever gave me a hard time for asking for help with things that were outside my scope. I would suggest that the next time you are given an admit, you make the charge nurse aware of your limitation in scope, and see what she or he suggests.