Can a nurse make the call to change a baby to soy formula?

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Can a postpartum nurse decide to change an infant from regular formula to soy formula without the doctor's knowledge/order? I honestly didn't know if this was in the nurse's scope of practice. Any helpful links/articles would be great.

Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

Our orders for formula feeding read: Feed q3-4 hours with Enfamil [or Similac, depending on the peds] 20cal/oz, or formula of mother's choice. If we make a switch (and most often it's the moms who ask if they can switch), we just chart that we switched per mom's request. None of our pedis care if it's regular, reduced lactose, or soy, as long as the kid is getting fed appropriately.

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Specializes in Cardio-Pulmonary; Med-Surg; Private Duty.

Our hospital only stocks Similac Advance / Easy Shield, and you have to have a doc's order to use the soy version. If parents want to use Enfamil or some other brand, they need to bring their own.

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