Can an LPN give orders to another LPN ??

[fairyluv]

We have an APN that works at our facility under the medical director, the APN often takes call and gives orders..ect. The APN was offered another job with another Dr. word has it the medical director is going to be hiring a new nurse and this new nurse he has hired is an LPN and she will be replacing the APN and also taking call for the med director and rumor has it giving orders. Can we take orders from another LPN in the middle of the night when we have to call her cause she is on call for the med director ? The SBON is very vague on this. there website says this about it. I'm not sure how to interpret this.

"Although a licensed nurse relating verbal and telephonic orders to a licensed nurse may have become accepted practice, neither the State Nurse Practice Act nor the State Board of Nursing Rules specifically address this issue. Verbal orders transmitted over the phone place the licensed nurse at greater risk."

How would you interpret it ??

[MandieeRN]

We have an APN that works at our facility under the medical director, the APN often takes call and gives orders..ect. The APN was offered another job with another Dr. word has it the medical director is going to be hiring a new nurse and this new nurse he has hired is an LPN and she will be replacing the APN and also taking call for the med director and rumor has it giving orders. Can we take orders from another LPN in the middle of the night when we have to call her cause she is on call for the med director ? The SBON is very vague on this. there website says this about it. I'm not sure how to interpret this.

"Although a licensed nurse relating verbal and telephonic orders to a licensed nurse may have become accepted practice, neither the State Nurse Practice Act nor the State Board of Nursing Rules specifically address this issue. Verbal orders transmitted over the phone place the licensed nurse at greater risk."

How would you interpret it ??

I would only take orders from a provider never another nurse. The nurse should always transcribe orders from a doctor and not pass if to another nurse. If a nurse is asking you carry out an order that has not been written down by the transcribing nurse you will be at fault for any mistake. Nurses make mistakes all the time. My rule is if I don't want to explain my actions in court than I don't do the action in questions.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Wow....that makes me VERY nervous. Wow. I can see it happening once in a while like calling the office and the MD says...tell them....xyz. but taking call in the middle of the night? Unless she is sleeping next to him I don't see this as a good thing.

A nurse still has a duty to know that it is a legitimate physician order and to question the order if it does not seem standard/correct. Some liability carriers preclude an insured from engaging in this practice because having a middleman/unlicensed individual can increase the margin for error. Check your facility policy/procedure to see if it is prohibited or allowed.

I would call the BON and specifically ask about this.....then I would call my malpractice insurance and ask for advice. If you don't have malpractice...get some....you might just need it. Then I would consider looking for another position.

[systoly]

it's just a rumor

as they say, " don't believe anything you hear and only half of what you see"