Are Lvn's Allowed To Do Initial Assessments??

[Nony]

I was interviewed for a job at a nursing recently. After the normal routine questions in the interview with the DON (Director of Nursing), I was given an opportunity to ask questions. I asked who would be doing the initial assessments on their admissions to the facitlity and I was told that I would be doing them. I have no problem doing assessments but I need to know if this is right. In school we were taught that it is the RN that does the initial assessments and I do not want to put my license on the line by doing things that are not within my scope of practice.

[kat7ap]

It looks like you are in Texas. This is straight from the TX BNE:

"Nothing in Board Rule refers to initial assessments; therefore, the BON does not define nor does it determine whether a LVN may complete an initial assessment. Staff recommends contacting the agency that regulates the specific type of practice setting to determine if other laws and regulations apply. If other regulations require that a RN perform the initial patient/client assessment, then the LVN cannot perform the assessment by proxy for the RN"

http://www.bon.state.tx.us/practice/faq-lvnassessments.html

In LTC, LVNs do initial assessments all the time.

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

Not in NY.

[txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN]

if you are in ltc then the initial assessments are the responsibility of the lvn . things are different in the hospital. there are many times ltc's get admits and there is no rn in sight....

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I am an LVN who lives and works in Texas, and I perform my own initial assessments all the time. As long as you are working in a nursing home or skilled nursing facility, you are permitted to complete your own initial assessments.

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

I think it depends on the state. I live in New York and while I know for a fact that we cannot do initial assessments in hospitals, I cannot say for sure whether they allow us to do them in LTC (because I have not worked in one before). I suspect that if so, it eventually has to be initialed by an RN.

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

I think it depends on the state. I live in New York and while I know for a fact that we cannot do initial assessments in hospitals, I cannot say for sure whether they allow us to do them in LTC (because I have not worked in one before). I suspect that if so, it eventually has to be initialed by an RN.

Nope. Used to be able to but no longer.

[nurse_mo1986]

All depends on the state and BON. In Mo, we (lpn's) CAN do the initial assessments in the acute care and ltc settings. I think it's state specific.

[nurselsteele]

You need to check your Board of Nursing; there are a limited (very limited in pa) list of things that LPN's are not permitted to do!

At my work, Intake assessments are done by LPN's & RN's alike, the limits are placed on the Medical Assistants in my work! They can do things in the Doctors office that they can't do in the jail.....

Every board is different.

[txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN]

i have never had a rn sign off on my initial assessments in ltc. things are much different out of the hospital...

i think it depends on the state. i live in new york and while i know for a fact that we cannot do initial assessments in hospitals, i cannot say for sure whether they allow us to do them in ltc (because i have not worked in one before). i suspect that if so, it eventually has to be initialed by an rn.

[LPN0207]

At the nursing home I worked with I did my own initial assessments. Now that I am in a hospital I still do them, but the RN double checks me and co signs.

[eric909]

An RN should be doing the initial assessment.