EEN's running the floor without RN's

[smilenurse]

Does anyone know or heard of EEN's are able to do shifts without RN's, mostly high care resident's (at Nursing Home) when there are no RN's available for the shift.

[ghillbert, MSN, NP]

Absolutely not.

[smilenurse]

Why not? What do you do when RN's cannot be find ?

[ghillbert, MSN, NP]

I assume these people have medications due that the RN must give? There is a ratio required. If you can't hire staff, get agency staff to cover.

[smilenurse]

Due to shortage of RN's and even the Agency have shortage and can not provide RN's when you need them when RN calls in sick 30 minutes before handover. Then the EEN's have no choose but to run the floor, give the medications, insulins, injections, S8 etc. It is very difficult to find RN's that like Aged Care, some will tell you hats off for Aged Care, RN's love better working in Hospitals than Aged Care.

[ghillbert, MSN, NP]

Are you one of the ENs doing such things? Your license is in great jeopardy and you are breaking the law if so. There are ALWAYS RNs available from an agency. Try different agencies. I can't believe people would take such risks as to administer things they are not qualified or educated to give. Someone needs to report this place to the authorities.

Those poor patients.

[smilenurse]

No it is not me, I would not do this never ever. I just hear around from other people talking about this but did not say were and when but they did finally find a RN from agency coming in.

[ceridwyn]

This does happen alot.....apparently, as long as there is an RN div 1 available on call that is enough supervision for a Div 2 endorsed to be administering all meds .....there are no agencies in the country areas,....sometimes it is PCA's that are giving the meds...from websters all on their own with a RN on call. This is happening in facilities with high care and low care. The wage disparity is enormous between acute and aged care, no div 1 is going to take poor wages yet take all the responsibilities of the pca's and Div 2's. Mind you the Div 2's are not the worry...checks of the S8's are with pcas if no div 2's it is just mind blowing stuff.