Being pulled to medical

Welcome to AN.com Sissybee!

To my Understanding, in the State of Illinois, as RN's, we cannot be expected to perform any Skilled Duties for which we have not received Training and Orientation. Any acceptance of performing a Skilled Duty is, Ultimately, Our Responsibility.

In other words, if we're Comfortable with Skilled Invasive Procedures, such as Urinary Catheter Insertion, IM injections, IV's and the Like, we can perform these Tasks on the Psych Unit as well on the Medical Unit. However, if Monitoring a Patient, or Performing Duties that are outside of our Usual Scope of Practise, we may inform Supervising Entities of our Limitations.

This is a Slippy Slope Area. Once we Clock In to work, we are accepting the Assignment as Deemed by the Supervising Entities. If we Refuse the Assignment, our Refusal could be taken as Insubordination by Administrative Officials who are not Understanding of our Assets and Limitations.

Bottom LIne is, when I worked as a Supervisor for a Home Health Agency, no Nurse could be assigned to perform any Task for which they were not Trained and Oriented.

There was some sort of Legalities involved, but it's been so long ago, I fear I have forgotten the Specifics.

Hopefully, more In-Tune Members will Chime In and be able to give you More Information.

Good Luck to you, Sissybee!

Illinois has no safe harbor law. They have a staffing plan requirement that requires to hospital to post and have available staffing pattern at minimal levels.

FLoating a RN to do patient care and vitals is within your scope of safe practice outside your unit. Even under safe harbor you would not be able to use it. They aren't asking you to be a nurse they are asking you to do patient care. Something you are qualified to do just about anywhere.

It stinks but they are within their rules and regs...unless you have a union with a contract that states otherwise.

http://www.ihatoday.org/uploadDocs/1/nursestafflaws.pdf

This way I can practice on the senile.

Mr. Rockstar-RN, if I didn't know you as a Capable, Competent, Caring, Comedic Caregiver, I would have taken this Statement with Some Reservations about your Morals, Ethics, Standards, Practices, and Ability to Provide Quality Care to the Patients you Serve.

Perhaps the Comedic Portion of your Positive Qualities could be better Utilized in the BreakRoom Side of AN.com?

You can get to there by Clicking on Breakroom on the Right Upper Quadrant of the Page.

Hope to see you in there.

FLoating a RN to do patient care and vitals is within your scope of safe practice outside your unit. Even under safe harbor you would not be able to use it. They aren't asking you to be a nurse they are asking you to do patient care. Something you are qualified to do just about anywhere.

I have to agree with Esme. To act as a tech is well within the nurse's scope of practice even for psych nurses. Vitals, bathing patients, changing linens, and assisting them with ADLs...that is stuff we all learned in Nursing 101. Should passing meds be involved, psych nurses are able to do that as well.

Depending on state law and facility policy, there may be a few things that techs do that you as a psych nurse may not feel competent doing--for example, the tech may be allowed to draw blood for labwork. In this case, you should let the medical supervisor that you are not qualified for this particular task. But to act as a tech...in general, psych nurses are more than qualified to do so.

However, I would make it clear to the medical supervisor that being a tech is all you should be doing, and that there needs to be a medical RN assigned to be responsible for the patient's nursing care. If they won't assign a medical RN but instead expect YOU to assume primary responsibility for the medical patient, then you should refuse the assignment.

I want to focus my career on Psych, but to keep up my nursing skills I work at a Long-term care facility through the week. This way I can practice on the senile. Most times they don't remember the pain I put them through by the time the next shift or a family member arrives. It helps me feel prepared if I'm ever forced to do what my superviser refers to as "real nurse" work.

'Practice on the senile'??!

I do hope you're joking.