Drawing blood fresh out of school?

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Jul 26, 2013

What state are you in as the scope of practice varies by state?

sunshinee · Jul 26, 2013

Arkansas.

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Jul 26, 2013

I don't know scope for AR. Check the BoN website. I know CA you need additional credentials to draw blood or start IV

sunshinee · Jul 26, 2013

I'm having difficulties trying to find this on the ASBN website. Is there any specific area or key words I should try searching?

mlbluvr · Jul 26, 2013

Your nurse practice act at the BON site.BTW- when I graduated I worked plasma for years, started 1000's of IVs, drew buckets of blood, etc.- back then it was so unheard of to think an LVN would ever start an IV (and even to PASS MEDS), it was not even mentioned in the nurse practice act. But it is now- and in some states you CAN start IVs, but CANNOT draw blood. It's all over the place. Again, copy your nurse practice act- you don't want to do something that it tells you not to. And if blood draws aren't mentioned, I'd ask the BON. Too many people are losing their livelihoods over seemingly insignificant breaches of the NPA. Also, after that, be sure you read your employer policy in detail- don't get yourself painted into a corner.

systoly · Jul 26, 2013

if you have difficulty finding the info, call your school and ask for help

IrishIzCPNP, MSN, RN, APRN, NP · Jul 26, 2013

Until you have your license in hand only do what you can do without a license. A "license on its way" isn't enough to work in. What if something happens and it doesn't come? Not worth the risk. Once you have your temp license you need to see what your state allows and don't go beyond it!

jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B · Jul 26, 2013

I would look up this further, however, I did find the following--BUT remember, always follow the policies of the facility in which you work. Just because something says you can do something, doesn't mean you are allowed to do it per your facility--

In Massachusetts, at least in the facility in which I work, PCT's are trained in house to draw labs. They can not start IV's or draw from an IV, give injections and that type of thing--but it is acute care, and not a clinic. Clinics have their own rules, as the MD is ultimately responsible for what she/he delegtes to UAP's. It varies widely by state, and by facility. You can always call the state BON and ask.

In 2009 when the Arkansas General AssemblyThe Arkansas General Assembly is the legislative branch of the Arkansas government. The General Assembly consists of an upper branch, the Arkansas State Senate, and a lower branch, the Arkansas House of Representatives. There are 100 representatives and 35 senators.

..... Click the link for more information. enacted an amendment to the Arkansas Medical Practices Act, creating a statutory basis for physician delegation to medical assistants. The amendment directs the Arkansas State Medical Board to adopt rules that "establish standards to be met and procedures to be followed by a physician with respect to the physician's delegation of the performance of medical practices to a qualified and properly trained employee who is not licensed or otherwise specifically authorized by the Arkansas Code to perform the practice." (3) The amendment goes on to set forth a number of parameters the Board is required to follow in adopting regulations with respect to supervision of the unlicensed employee, limits on the types of drugs that can be administered by the assistant, prohibiting delegation of anesthesia administration, and so forth.

The Arkansas State Medical Board responded by adopting Regulation 31 in February 2010. Titled the "Physician Delegation Regulation," Regulation 31 defines "Medical Assistant" as "an employee of a Physician who has been delegated medical practices or tasks, and who has not been licensed by or specifically authorized to perform the practice or task pursuant to other provisions of Arkansas law." Rather than set forth a defined scope of practice for medical assistants, Regulation 31 established mandatory guidelines for physicians to follow in delegating tasks while leaving the physician with substantial discretion to determine what procedures may be delegated to a particular assistant. Among the guidelines that must be observed are:

* The delegating physician remains responsible for the acts of the employee;

* The employee must not be represented to the public as a licensed practitioner;

* The task to be delegated is within the physician's authority to perform;

* The assistant to whom the task is delegated is qualified and properly trained to perform the task;

* The medical assistant cannot re-delegate a task to another unlicensed person, nor can the delegating physician transfer responsibility for supervising the assistant except to another physician who is qualified and has knowingly accepted that responsibility;

* With respect delegating the administration of drugs:

(a) The physician may delegate only the administration of drugs that do not require substantial, specialized judgment and skill based on knowledge and application of the principles of biological, physical and social sciences;

(b) Administration of drugs by delegation must occur within the physical boundaries of the delegating physician's offices;

This is just a partial listing of the more important provisions of the regulation. Arkansas medical assistants and their employers can review the entire text of Regulation 31 and [section] 17-95-208 of the Medical Practices Act on the State Medical Board's website. (4)