Can a LPN delegate to RN?

[roxs752]

We have a new manager on the LTC unit. She is a LPN. She has been delegating to me and another nurse who is a RN. Is this even legal? How can she delegate tasks that are out of her scope of practice.

[Gabby-RN]

http://work.chron.com/can-lpn-nurse-manager-13874.html

[Bruceh]

I Worked in a nursing home where a LPN was ADON and how they did it was she ran all the CNA's and the DON a RN ran the nurses lpn's Rns but if need be the ADON would delegate to RN if she had to but for the most part the DON handled the RN's I also read in a local paper in KY where a CNA was ADON

[Gabby-RN]

I worked at an LTAC where my unit manager was an LPN, she was salaried and listed as nursing administration not clinical staff. She did not delegate nursing tasks to me as my manager. Passing meds and doing assessments were not tasks she was delegating to me so that she didn't have to do them. Those things were my job. Her job was to oversee the unit under the direction of the RN DON. The RN's would do tasks such as hang blood that an LPN was not allowed to do (per facility policy not state policy). If an RN had a question on how to do the task the educator or another RN manager would assist. She was really good about not working outside her scope, or so I thought. The facility never had an issue passing state survey and it was no secret that several of the unit managers were LPN's with RN's working on the units. I am just curious what the circumstances would be that would make this unsafe or something an RN should worry about as far as their license is concerned.

[roser13, ASN, RN]

" Of course an LPN can delegate to an RN if his/her position requires it. Delegation requires that the task be within the scope of practice of the delagatee, not the delgator [sic]."

Could you please cite the authority behind your statement?

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

Once again. The RN can delegate to another RN, LPN, and CNA/NA/HHA, to perform tasks in accordance with their specific scopes of practice. A LPN can make assignments on an administrative level to the RN to perform under RN standard of care, but cannot evaluate RN quality of clinical practice even if performed after that assignment.

An LPN can be an ADON for administrative purposes only. S/he cannot evaluate on the basis of clinical performance. The LPN does not delegate to the RN, because the word has a specific legal definition and the LPN does't have the scope of practice to do that. S/he can make assignments, but that is NOT delegation. Delegation is when you hand off something you are able to do within your own scope of practice to someone of equal or lesser scope.

[AdamantiteEnigma]

Once again. The RN can delegate to another RN, LPN, and CNA/NA/HHA, to perform tasks in accordance with their specific scopes of practice. A LPN can make assignments on an administrative level to the RN to perform under RN standard of care, but cannot evaluate RN quality of clinical practice even if performed after that assignment.

An LPN can be an ADON for administrative purposes only. S/he cannot evaluate on the basis of clinical performance. The LPN does not delegate to the RN, because the word has a specific legal definition and the LPN does't have the scope of practice to do that. S/he can make assignments, but that is NOT delegation. Delegation is when you hand off something you are able to do within your own scope of practice to someone of equal or lesser scope.

This has been my understanding as well. And this discussion is something I am continuing to follow with interest. Namely due to the nature of my work and what I am asked to do.

The new grad that went nuclear not long ago went on and on about delegation. However I wasn't delegating anything clinical as I am acutely aware of the difference. Giving assignments, etc is something I've done as often as taking a cart in those settings.

It is a bit disconcerting though to know that the same old, "I'm better than you" attitudes will persist on both sides. My philosophy always has been and will be akin to getting everyone to recognize that for the next 8/12/16/perhaps 18 hours that we are in this together. Bickering solves nothing.

[muffylpn]

I read one comment at the start of this post. LPNs work under no one's license but their own. Working under someone's license is like an RN saying "go head I said it's ok for you do this thing out of your scope of practice cause I'm an RN and you are in LPN" no that wrong and it has NEVER been this way.