CNA performing a newborn screen?

[rnmi2004]

The thread on fundal pressure got me thinking about the birth of my third child five years ago. The CNM instructed the nurse to use fundal pressure. It's on the tape of his birth, and I was looking up the info from my files on his birth to see if the CNM included this in her dictation of the labor & delivery report (she didn't).

Anyhow, I came across the newborn screen checklist and the discharge instruction sheet, and I noticed that they were both signed by a CNA!! The form had "RN signature" printed on it. I wasn't even a nursing student when this happened, so I wouldn't have thought anything of it, but now I'm wondering if anyone else has seen a CNA perform a newborn screen because it kind of bothers me (my son was/is fine, btw). Can the hospital train them to do this? It was a smaller, rural hospital, if that makes a difference.

[hipab4hands]

I would be worried. CNA's do not do medical assessments. They can provide personal care , take vital signs ,etc.,but it is not within their scope of practice to "interpret" these results.

Think about it. Do you want some one who has maybe 6 month or less of basic training or someone who has college level education.

I would really question what the hospital is doing/allowing and report it to the State Board

[BETSRN]

Newborn screening (I assume you mean the PKU test) is done by an RN. The heqaring screenings are done by our teachs and in some places by trained volunteers. What screening is the original poster referring to?

[cannoli]

Newborn screening (I assume you mean the PKU test) is done by an RN. The heqaring screenings are done by our teachs and in some places by trained volunteers. What screening is the original poster referring to?

What is heqaring screening?

[nekhismom]

I think she meant HEARING screening.

[fergus51]

We have lab techs do blood work on babies, so I don't think that's a problem if you are just referring to the PKU. If you are referring to an assessment, I would have a problem with it. That's an RN job.

[cannoli]

I think she meant HEARING screening.

Thanks.

[BittyBabyGrower, MSN, RN]

Our CNA's do the PKU's...they are certified to draw bloods. Hearing screens are done by audiology. The physical assessment is done by the PNP or RN.

[BETSRN]

Sorry. I meant hearing screening. This is state mandated (don't know if it is in all staes as yet, but it will be. There is nothing technical about doing this, nor does the screener have to do any assessment, as was mentioned. Three little sticky leads are placed on the nape of the baby's neck, the shoulder, and the forehead. Then two little soft earphone are placed over the baby's ears. Then the machine makes little clicking sounds that the baby hears and the machine measures nerve conduction of sound. The baby has to be sound asleep for it to work well (or quickly). Then the machine prints out a pass or fail. Nurses do not always ahve time to be doing hearing screens in addition to everything else. We nurses do them, of course, but our techs do the bulk of them for us.

[dawngloves, BSN, RN]

Where I work and where I delivered my kids a CNA did the Hearing test and PKU.

[fiestynurse]

....

[rnmi2004]

Yep, you're right. I didn't look at the form close enough. An RN did the newborn profile; the CNA did the NB screening (this hospital didn't do hearing screens) and the discharge teaching.