Can an LPN work 11-7 without RN in building? Pennsylvania!

[nowdistracted]

I was told that there is different laws between skilled and assisted living facilities and staffing policies through the state. I am unable to locate where these are to read for myself. I have been all over the pennsylvania board of nursing site, am I looking in the wrong place? And if a lpn is working without a rn present can they loose their license? I am asking because I was offered a 11-7a position as a night supervisor, I asked on staffing and was told there would be myself and 2-3 aides. I was told that state law says if a skilled facility has under a certain number of beds/patients this was allowed....I have been trying to find this and don't want to take a job that could cause me to get in trouble with my license I worked so hard to get.

Thanks in advance for your help with this :)

Ps also I read before while in nursing school the guidelines for lpn and the departments do's and dont's for lpn but cant locate it now...help with that would be appreciate too :) Sorry so needy tonight lol

[bugya90, ASN, BSN, LVN, RN]

I worked in LTC and we had to have an RN on call but they didn't have to be in the building. We only like three on staff to begin with and one of those was the DON. Texas laws states you just have to be able to reach an rn or md at all times so we had the on call rn and had a contract with local er to be able to use them on call if needed.

[shiningstarinpa]

I work in PA in ltc. At one point the census in our building was getting pretty low. The DON was talking about the possibility of having an lpn in charge of the building during the night shift if our census fell below a certain level. I don't remember what the number was, but there is certain patient load you can carry without an rn in the building. There has to be one on call and able to reach the building in a certain amount of time. Not sure if this helps since I don't know the details, but at least you know that in PA it is possible to have an lpn in charge of a building.

[SuzieVN]

I believe the standard mandate calls for an RN to be present 40 hours per week, and available at all other times. In some small places, the full time DON may be the only RN.

[LTCNS, LPN]

I am a LPN who works in a home with 36 private beds for alzheimer's patients and act as head nurse with no RNs in the building, BUT there is a RN available in the LTC home onsite 24/7, but is not required to be present in the alzheimer's home unless there is an emergency requiring RN presence. It is a community with independent living apts., garden homes, assisted living apartments, LTC home and an alzheimer's home.

[justjosh_ky]

The DON can sign a waiver that states as an RN she can be reached 24 hours a day and technically assumes the responsibility of the RN spot without being present. That's how my building in KY is