All Lpn's Please Read

[RNforLongTime]

Hello,

My 226 bed acute care hospital has formed a committee as we are going to re-introduce LPN's on the med-surg floors. The committee is looking at how we are going to utilize the LPN's.

SO, would you please tell me--if you work in a hospital--what exactly your duties are and what you as an LPN are and aren't allowed to do. I realize that the LPN/LVN scope of practice varies by state, I am in Northeast Ohio.

I am specifically interested in Nurse- patient ratio for the LPN in your facility and any other infor mation you can provide will be helpful.

Personally, I am looking forward to working side by side with the LPN's and feel that it was a grave mistake that a lot of hospitals--especially in this area of the country-that they were phased out of the acute care setting.

Thank you for your help!

Kelly:)

[GreytNurse]

All I can say is, you all better be double checking the standards for what you can do, legally, with the state. There are National regulations and I'm just glad I don't work with some of you.....sounds too scary!

[diablo]

Greytnurse,Where in the nurse practice act are you getting this info??

I live in Ga. Work on a medical floor,also has Telemetry beds.The only thing we aren't REQUIRED to do is give chemo.We hang blood,push Iv meds,flush central lines,etc.

Our Telemetry is monitored in ICU,they call us if there is a problem...

We are required to have an RN sign admission assessments,and I do mean sign.Most of the time they haven't seen the patient.

[GreytNurse]

Diablo........Lynni........perhaps you all should double check with your states and the American Nurses Assoc. and the Nat. Assoc of LPN.....

Anyway, I sure hope you all carry malpractice insurance. If you don't and you think that your facility will stand behind you......the only thing you'll get from behind is a boot on the back side!!!!

If you've had the extra/special training, great! But, like I said, I would make sure, 100000000% that you are working under facility/state protocol.

[Grace Oz]

Greetings all,

Here in Australia, Enrolled Nurses ( E.N.)- I believe it to be the same as your LPN- are trained to do most things an R.N does. We administer Medications if accreditated to do so & if the facility has it in thier policy for E.N's to do so. There is restrictions on what type of drug we can administer, IV drugs MUST be given by an R.N.

We must always have the drug co-checked in some circumstances, again, depending on the particular drug. ( it CAN get frustrating & confusing at times) General patient care is undertaken by ALL nurses in our hospitals, E.N's do their own patient casenotes at the end of each shift, we're usually responsible for up to 6 patients, overseen by an R.N. Mind you,I did a shift at an aged care facility last year where I had 23 residents all to myself!?! ( I'm an agency nurse at present) We do dressings, most treatments as ordered by the doctors, admissions,observations,discharges,we take part in the implementation & planning of patient care.We set up & moniter / change IV's. Often you will work alone with the R.N. in another bay ( that's another section of the ward)& you can call on him/her if needed. He/ she is ultimately responsible for you, but you are accountable for your own practise. Some states in Australia differ in what their E.N's can & cannot do. Hope this is of some interst & help.

BTW: can someone please explain to me what LVN means? In anticipation, thanks.

Cheers from Down Under....

Grace.

[diablo]

I still would like to know where you got your information! I certainly don't want to do anything illegal.

You were so adamant in your post.Please tell me the article number,etc. I've read the nurse practice act,and found no references to what I can and cannot do.

If I understand you correctly,you're suggesting some of us could be in a lot of trouble.Personally,I don't do anything I haven't been trained to do.If you will,please share this knowledge.

Thanks!!

[stevie b]

I just moved from Georgia. I don't have my copy of the Nurse Practice Act for Ga.,but Greytnurse is correct. LPN's cannot hang blood,(initiate transfusion), but can monitor after first 15 minutes are monitored by an R.N. Also ,no IV pushes. An LPN can hang maintanance fluids and piggy back an antibiotic or whatever. I know that an RN is supposed to do initial assessment,but that doesnt happen in the real world. Usually, an RN would let me sign on under her screen on computer, but I would complete the assessment.

[zumalong]

WoWZa!!!! You guys are too much. I teach LPN's in NYS and have for over 7 years. I started out as an LPN and have nothing but praise for my LPN colleagues. I am also very proud that I worked toward my RN. But I did this for myself--not because I thought being an LPN was not enough of a nurse. Enough said about that.

Every state has their own nurse practice act. The main issue is how each individual agency interprets it. If you are not sure you are covered for any procedure--check with your facilities policies and procedures. If you still are unsure follow the chain of command. I know that in our area the duties of the LPN vary from hospital to hospital. I have not seen an instance when an LPN can initiate blood therapy, but with extra training our LPN's are delivering meds in the ICU, Ed, and other critical care areas. We usually partner them with an RN who oversees all the assessments.

In this critical time of nursing shortage--why would any of you want to demean what an LPN does? Some of the best nurses I have worked with were LPN's. There is a good article in mar/apr. Journal of Contining Education in Nursing called: Teaching nursing delgation: analyzing nurse practice acts. I am not sure how to attach to this thread, but am sure if you are interested your medical library could find it for you. It discusses the role of the RN in delgating but could apply for an LPN interested in their role.

Take care all--and stop eating each other--we are all we have.

[gee1978]

I want to know if it is legal in tennessee for an LPN to do admission assessment please help

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Old thread alert!

This thread is over 4 years old.

[Lorie P.]

here in south ga where i work, lpn's take any where from 6-9 pts' depending on the pt load. we start iv's, hang iv fluids both primary and piggyback, draw blood from picc's and central lines, take off orders, write orders that are either verbal or telephone, call the docs' if one of our pt's goes bad or has a change that warrents a call, change any and all dressings including picc and central lines, insert foley's, d'/ foleys' get a pt ready for pre-op, monitor them post-op, give iv push meds except dsyrrythmia meds, pretty much everything a rn does except the addmission assessmnet and hang blood, though we can monitor for reactions.

i am licky enough to work with 2 rn's that give me respect and dignity because they come to me since i have worked there longer and know which docs are easy to deal with and how things usually go. i also precept new rn's and lpn's too.

they call me radar( from mash) cause if the need a policy or anything else i point them in the right direction. also because i read and reread out p&p to stay on top of any changes or to cya. that is left over from 14 years military .

[Lorie P.]

the meds that are usually pushed iv (are lasix, demerol, phenergan, morphine)where i work.

[tobrea]

just getting a chance to read your post. i am a lvn in texas working in an acute setting hospital. take from 8-18 pts at a time. can do just about anything an rn can do. meaning, start ivs, draw blood, hang blood, draw from central lines, and picc lines. do foleys, iv push drugs. drop ngs. wound care, take verbal and phone orders, chart on patients. rns basically do the assessments and help the lvns when a patient is going bad. we do the work we just dont get the same pay. that's why starting to take prereqs for rn school. if im going to do the work then i want the same pay.